example case study organizational behavior

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Organisational Behaviour: A case study of Coca-Cola Company

Abstract: The paper contains a detail analysis of organizational behavior discussing issues facing cutting age organizations on leadership behavior, organizational effectiveness, organizational structures and human resource management. The paper further analyzed the structure and culture of Coca-Cola Company with emphasis on issues relating to ricks and uncertainties in the company’s decision making. Recommendations are laid based on the study to address the company’s issues and align decision-making with the company’s structure

Related Papers

Angelina Mar

Ibrahim Dan-Musa

This is a research on the question “Does Culture play a significant role in Organisational Change?” This paper aims at giving a critical analysis on the subject matter “organisational change” (“an alteration of an organization’s environment, structure, culture, technology, or people” [Michael Crandall 2006]) and how much role culture (the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another” [Hofstede 1981]) plays in organisational change. It aims to answer the question whether culture contributes a significant role in organisational change. It would also look at the impact of leadership on organisational change and the significance of leadership in organisational change. It would also show the correlation and catalyst effect of leadership on culture in making an organisational change. The research would then give an example of the role of culture in organisational change using the case study of Petro-Kazakhstan and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to illustrate the role of culture in organisational change. The paper would end with a conclusion and recommendation on the dissertation question, “Does culture play a significant role in organisational change?”

Assignment on change management 3000 words with references.

Oghenethoja Umuteme

A review of both old and new leadership theories from a psychological perspective is presented in this work. Organisational leadership as a term is being discussed in various academic and business circles, leading to several definitions of the term. The inability of the business and academic world to accept a universal definition explains that leadership itself is complex. This can be attributed to various factors such as personality traits, organisational culture, current world issues, etc., that various theories tries to explain.

Vidushi Manoraj

Samuel Babatunji Adedeji

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which organisational culture is an explanatory variable for firm’s corporate performance especially now that entities interact in globally knowledge based economies. A review of theoretical and empirical studies were carried out on some developed, emerging and developing nations with particular reference to traits characterised in specific organisational cultural environments in relation to their effects on corporate performance. Those reviews show that organisational culture needs to focus on knowledge management, knowledge conversion, team work, human capital formation, organisational climate and adaptive culture. The studies reviewed focused more on cross-national research design with less attention on the longitudinal aspect. It was not possible to review papers written in non-English language, and those published reviews with access denied to some online. There is a need for more empirical evidence to further justify the relevance of this study area for assessment of organisational culture and corporate performance. This review adds value with the recognition of the need to gear up researchers and policy making bodies to encourage advancement of studies on intellectual capital and knowledge management to enhance sustainable corporate culture and performance.

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Organizational Behavior

Browse organizational behavior learning materials including case studies, simulations, and online courses. Introduce core concepts and real-world challenges to create memorable learning experiences for your students.

Browse by Topic

• Group Dynamics
• Managerial Behavior
• Organizational Culture
• Organizational Learning
• Organizational Values
• Power and Influence

New! Quick Cases in Organizational Behavior

Quickly immerse students in focused and engaging business dilemmas. No student prep time required.

Fundamentals of Case Teaching

Our new, self-paced, online course guides you through the fundamentals for leading successful case discussions at any course level.

New in Organizational Behavior

Explore the latest organizational behavior learning materials

3528 word count

2834 word count

4118 word count

3438 word count

1237 word count

1815 word count

272 page(s)

2699 word count

Looking for something specific?

Explore materials that align with your organizational behavior learning objectives

Organizational Behavior Cases with Protagonists of Color

Discover organizational behavior cases featuring protagonists of color that have been recommended by Harvard Business School faculty.

Working in Teams Collection

This collection gives students many opportunities to explore the nuances and challenges of teamwork, working as both a member of a team as well as a team leader.

Organizational Behavior Case Studies

Explore case studies that cover real-world organizational behavior challenges.

Adaptive Leadership Collection

Discover case studies, simulations, and readings that fit into your adaptive leadership courses.

Foundational Organizational Behavior Readings

Discover readings that cover the fundamental concepts and frameworks that business students must learn about organizational behavior.

Organizational Behavior Cases with Female Protagonists

Explore a collection of organizational behavior cases featuring female protagonists curated by the HBS Gender Initiative.

Organizational Behavior Simulations

Give your students hands-on experience making organizational behavior decisions with simulations.

Bestsellers in Organizational Behavior

Explore what other educators are using in their organizational behavior courses

Start building your courses today

Register for a free Educator Account and get exclusive access to our entire catalog of learning materials, teaching resources, and online course planning tools.

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience, including personalizing content. Learn More . By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

• Technical Support
• Find My Rep

You are here

Cases in Organizational Behavior

• Gerard Seijts - The University of Western Ontario, CANADA
• Description
• Building Effective Organizations
• Leading People
• Team Management
• Change Management  

Cases in Organizational Behavior can be used as a core text in courses that require the structure of a text. This book of cases can also be used to apply the principles in business and management courses, as well as in psychology courses.                     The IVEY Casebook Series Cases in Business Ethics Cases in Entrepreneurship Cases in Gender & Diversity in Organizations Cases in Operations Management Cases in Organizational Behavior Cases in the Environment of Business Cases in Alliance Management Mergers and Acquisitions: Text and Cases

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

An excellent text which provides realistic case studies to help students appreciate the complexity of any organisation.

Useful and interesting text. Not just for organisational behavior but for a broader set of business and management topic areas. The text provides a number of engaging case studies, which are useful in giving life to the relevant theory.

Readability - Relevance

Although these cases were good, I did not feel they would engage undergraduates who are just learning about OB. There needs to be companies they recognize and can relate to.

Cases haven't lent themselves to a critical management perspective.

cumulative cost of books for this course

Did not mesh well with the text. Cases were not well organized into sections either.

The current text book I'm using, Colquitt, Lepine, Wesson, provides case studies and videos for use in the class.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1. Building Effective Organizations

Chapter 3. Team Management

For instructors

Select a purchasing option, related products.

• Sustainability Library

Organizational Behavior

Take a look at organizational behavior-related case studies from the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit at Case Western Reserve University.

Wal-Mart's Sustainability Strategy

Company: WalMart

Publisher: Stanford

Call Number: OIT-71

Year Published: 2007

In October 2005, in an auditorium filled to capacity in Bentonville, Arkansas, Lee Scott, WalMart's president and CEO, made the first speech in the history of WalMart to be broadcast to the company's 1.6 million associates (employees) in all of its 6,000+ stores worldwide and shared with its 60,000+ suppliers. Scott announced that WalMart was launching a sweeping business sustainability strategy to dramatically reduce the company's impact on the global environment and thus become "the most competitive and innovative company in the world." He argued that, "Being a good steward of the environment and being profitable are not mutually exclusive. They are one and the same."

What is the dilemma or tough decisions?

Decision to make sustainability an important part of WalMart's operations.

Website where case study can be found

http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/web/product_detail.seam?E=70273&R=OIT71-PDF-ENG&c…

Viridity Energy: The Challenge and Opportunity of Promoting Clean Energy Solutions

Company: Viridity Energy, Inc.

Publisher: Ivey

Call Number: 9B12M035

Year Published: 2012

Viridity Energy, a smart grid company, is engaged in sustainability for two reasons. On one hand, it finds profitable opportunities by helping its customers cut energy bills. And on the other hand, it’s getting credit for that environmental responsibility. This case highlights the challenges and opportunities of smart grid companies to promote clean energy solutions, especially the challenge of doing less harm to include progressively greater eco-effectiveness in competitive markets.

https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/product/viridity-energy-the-challenge-and-oppor…

Verne Global: Building a Green Data Center in Iceland

Company: Verne

Publisher: Harvard

Call Number: 9-509-063

Year Published: 2009

Verne Global, a pioneering startup created to build the first large-scale data center in Iceland, faces critical challenges regarding its green strategy. 

How can Verne best integrate its Green strategy into its Sales and Marketing message?

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/509063-PDF-ENG?E=823150&R=509063-PDF-ENG&conve…

The ReUse People: Turning Scrap into Sales

Company: The ReUse People

Publisher: Oikos

Call Number: N/A

This case discusses The ReUse People, an organisation that specialises in deconstruction of buildings, with the aim of reusing as much of the materials as possible, hence keeping them out of landfill. The organisation is facing a classical growth-related dilemma: should it grow organically, keeping most of the work in-house but hence limiting its growth rate, or should it “franchise” its deconstruction approach by certifying other companies in the deconstruction process? The mission of The ReUse People is squarely environmental, but the organisation is increasingly aiming to provide social benefits too by reaching out to community organisations and providing employment opportunities.

Which expansion strategy is better for TRP?

https://oikos-international.org/publications/the-reuse-people/

The Ambrose Hotel: Eco-labeling Strategy for Sustainable Lodging

Company: The Ambrose Hotel

The case traces the story of the Ambrose Hotel, a hotel based in California whose owner has invested in green practices and is interested in pursuing an eco-labeling strategy in order to better communicate her environmental achievements. It emphasises the difference between the adoption of environmental management practices and their communication through eco-labels. It highlights the challenges associated with the use of eco-labels as an environmental differentiation strategy when several emerging eco-labels are in competition.

How should Ambrose go about convincing customers that they are truly green?

https://oikos-international.org/publications/the-ambrose-hotel-eco-labeling-str…

Sustainability at Tetra Pak: Recycling Post-Consumer Cartons

Company: Tetra Pak

Call Number: 9B12M069

Tetra Pack India aimed to uphold its image of an environmentally responsible company by meeting its goals for recycling post consumer cartons (PCC). While Tetra Pack’s ‘Renew’, ‘Reduce’, ‘Recycle’, ‘be Responsible’ philosophy succeeded in other regions of the world, the particular geographical, socioeconomic and political climate in India posed various challenges. Tetra Pak India’s team redefined its strategy by forging partnerships and alliances with non-governmental organizations, scrap dealers, rag-pickers, commercial establishments and organizations that champion the cause of the environment.

With ever-changing mindsets, increasing regulations and growing customer expectations, how can Tetra Pak face the future challenges to ensure that its success from the PCC recycling initiative can be sustained and scaled up?

https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/product/sustainability-at-tetra-pak-recycling-p…

Taj Hotels: Building Sustainable Livelihoods

Company: Taj Hotels

Call Number: 9B13C032

Year Published: 2013

This case explores issues faced by the corporate sustainability manager at the corporate headquarters of a large hotel group in a developing nation as she implements her company’s corporate sustainability strategy through supplier partnerships with bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) social organizations. Under the rubric of responsible purchasing, the hotelier’s “Creating Sustainable Livelihoods” initiative engaged cause-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) by exploring opportunities where the products or services of such organizations could substitute for similar products or services sourced from for-profit suppliers. 

The case illustrates the challenges inherent in a Base-of-the-Pyramid responsible purchasing strategy, including the delicate balance between meeting business objectives while supporting social causes. These challenges revolve around developing and implementing cross-sector partnerships with BoP nonprofit producer organizations in the Indian context. Discussion is likely to center less on differences in partners’ missions, cultures, and long-term objectives, and more on the difficulties present in organizing even when those differences are reconciled, especially through symbiotic long-term obj

https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/product/taj-hotels-building-sustainable-livelih…

Starbucks and Conservation International

Company: Starbucks

Call Number: 9-303-055

Year Published: 2004

Starbucks developed a strategic alliance with Conservation International to promote coffee-growing practices of small farms that would protect endangered habitats. The collaboration emerged from the company's corporate social responsibility policies and its coffee procurement strategy. Starbucks was reviewing the future of this alliance and its new coffee procurement guidelines aimed at promoting environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable coffee production.

How does Starbucks use its alliance with Conservation International to develop its socially and environmentally sustainable coffee system?

http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/web/product_detail.seam?E=15809&R=303055-PDF-ENG&…

Pyramyd Air: Looking through the Scope of Values

Company: Pyramyd Air

Call Number: 9B13C038

Pyramyd Air, a small and growing online airgun retailer serving the shooting community, wants to broaden its sustainability practices from its current internal initiatives in order to communicate an even stronger value proposition: sustainability isn’t just about recycling and efficiency, it is about a thriving environment leading to more engaged employees and more loyal premium customers. Pyramyd Air recognizes that some sustainability practices are vital to its customers’ long-term enjoyment of a flourishing outdoor sporting industry. 

For a company with strong customer relationships but operating in a sector not usually frequented by pro-environment types, can sustainability strengthen the relationship between employees and customers by building on the inherent industry values of the great outdoors and a sense of community? How can the company’s culture and employee perspectives evolve in order to frame sustainability in a new light leading to specific sustainability initiatives that the company could pursue in order to resonate with customers and increase profits?

https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/product/pyramyd-air-looking-through-the-scope-o…

Procter & Gamble: Children's Safe Drinking Water (A, B)

Company: Procter & Gamble

Publisher: UVA

Call Number: 0315

Year Published: 2008

In 1995, Procter & Gamble (P&G) scientists began researching methods of water treatment for use in communities facing water crises. P&G was interested in bringing industrial-quality water treatment to remote areas worldwide, because the lack of clean water, primarily in developing countries, was alarming. With a long history of scientific research and innovation in health, hygiene, and nutrition, P&G considered ways it could address the safe drinking-water crisis as the new millennium approached.

How P&G can take the business of pure, clean drinking water to other geographies.

http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/web/product_detail.seam?E=1350161&R=UV1160-PDF-EN…

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

14.1 Organizational Structure: The Case of Toyota

Figure 14.1

Mike Mozart – Toyota – CC BY 2.0.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TYO: 7203) has often been referred to as the gold standard of the automotive industry. In the first quarter of 2007, Toyota (NYSE: TM) overtook General Motors Corporation in sales for the first time as the top automotive manufacturer in the world. Toyota reached success in part because of its exceptional reputation for quality and customer care. Despite the global recession and the tough economic times that American auto companies such as General Motors and Chrysler faced in 2009, Toyota enjoyed profits of $16.7 billion and sales growth of 6% that year. However, late 2009 and early 2010 witnessed Toyota’s recall of 8 million vehicles due to unintended acceleration. How could this happen to a company known for quality and structured to solve problems as soon as they arise? To examine this further, one has to understand about the Toyota Production System (TPS).

TPS is built on the principles of “just-in-time” production. In other words, raw materials and supplies are delivered to the assembly line exactly at the time they are to be used. This system has little room for slack resources, emphasizes the importance of efficiency on the part of employees, and minimizes wasted resources. TPS gives power to the employees on the front lines. Assembly line workers are empowered to pull a cord and stop the manufacturing line when they see a problem.

However, during the 1990s, Toyota began to experience rapid growth and expansion. With this success, the organization became more defensive and protective of information. Expansion strained resources across the organization and slowed response time. Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, the grandson of its founder, has conceded, “Quite frankly, I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick.”

Vehicle recalls are not new to Toyota; after defects were found in the company’s Lexus model in 1989, Toyota created teams to solve the issues quickly, and in some cases the company went to customers’ homes to collect the cars. The question on many people’s minds is, how could a company whose success was built on its reputation for quality have had such failures? What is all the more puzzling is that brake problems in vehicles became apparent in 2009, but only after being confronted by United States transportation secretary Ray LaHood did Toyota begin issuing recalls in the United States. And during the early months of the crisis, Toyota’s top leaders were all but missing from public sight.

The organizational structure of Toyota may give us some insight into the handling of this crisis and ideas for the most effective way for Toyota to move forward. A conflict such as this has the ability to paralyze productivity but if dealt with constructively and effectively, can present opportunities for learning and improvement. Companies such as Toyota that have a rigid corporate culture and a hierarchy of seniority are at risk of reacting to external threats slowly. It is not uncommon that individuals feel reluctant to pass bad news up the chain within a family company such as Toyota. Toyota’s board of directors is composed of 29 Japanese men, all of whom are Toyota insiders. As a result of its centralized power structure, authority is not generally delegated within the company; all U.S. executives are assigned a Japanese boss to mentor them, and no Toyota executive in the United States is authorized to issue a recall. Most information flow is one-way, back to Japan where decisions are made.

Will Toyota turn its recall into an opportunity for increased participation for its international manufacturers? Will decentralization and increased transparency occur? Only time will tell.

Based on information from Accelerating into trouble. (2010, February 11). Economist . Retrieved March 8, 2010, from http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15498249 ; Dickson, D. (2010, February 10). Toyota’s bumps began with race for growth. Washington Times , p. 1; Maynard, M., Tabuchi, H., Bradsher, K., & Parris, M. (2010, February 7). Toyota has a pattern of slow response on safety issues. New York Times , p. 1; Simon, B. (2010, February 24). LaHood voices concerns over Toyota culture. Financial Times . Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/11708d7c-20d7-11df-b920-00144feab49a.html ; Werhane, P., & Moriarty, B. (2009). Moral imagination and management decision making. Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics . Retrieved April 30, 2010, from http://www.corporate-ethics.org/pdf/moral_imagination.pdf ; Atlman, A. (2010, February 24). Congress puts Toyota (and Toyoda) in the hot seat. Time . Retrieved March 11, 2010, from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1967654,00.html .

Discussion Questions

• Do you think Toyota’s organizational structure and norms are explicitly formalized in rules, or do the norms seem to be more inherent in the culture of the organization?
• What are the pros and cons of Toyota’s structure?
• What elements of business would you suggest remain the same and what elements might need revising?
• What are the most important elements of Toyota’s organizational structure?

Organizational Behavior Copyright © 2017 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Organizational Behavior

(18 reviews)

Copyright Year: 2017

ISBN 13: 9781946135155

Publisher: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Jalal Maqableh, Instructor - Ph.D. Candidate, James Madison University on 11/29/21

This book is comprehensive in two ways: (1) The organizational behavior topics it covers. The most important topics that new employees (fresh graduates) would need to know are included in this book. (2) The learning methodology includes the... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book is comprehensive in two ways: (1) The organizational behavior topics it covers. The most important topics that new employees (fresh graduates) would need to know are included in this book. (2) The learning methodology includes the topics' content, discussion questions, key takeaways, and exercises.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This book is accurate and provides relevant content. In general, no key mistakes were identified.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The book is relatively new (2019). It talks about current practices in today's organizations. Some topics in organizational behavior are stable while others are changing very fast. Therefore, it will be important to look to the places where there will be a need for updates.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is clear and helps the reader to move through sections smoothly.

Consistency rating: 5

The structure of the chapters is very consistent. This facilitates the learning process.

Modularity rating: 5

Although the size of the book is large and not logical to be used all in one semester. The design of the book separates the learning topics into small learning packages that can be selected based on the need.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The flow of the book makes it logical to build each chapter based on the previous one. This is good for educational purposes because it helps the instructor during the transition from one topic to another.

Interface rating: 5

Easy to use and to move through different parts.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammar issues were found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book clearly highlights cultural diversity within the organizational context.

This is a very well-written book for university students. It gives the opportunity for readers to comprehend organizational behavior in an interesting way.

Reviewed by Brittni Heiden, Senior Director of Graduate Programs, Trine University on 4/16/21

The text, Organizational Behavior provides a comprehensive overview of several topics, including: motivation, communication, managing groups and teams, conflict resolution, power and politics, making decisions, etc. Within each chapter, the author... read more

The text, Organizational Behavior provides a comprehensive overview of several topics, including: motivation, communication, managing groups and teams, conflict resolution, power and politics, making decisions, etc. Within each chapter, the author provides key takeaways and exercises that allow the students to apply their knowledge of the topic.

Each topic is presented in an accurate manner, supported by current practices, and relevant examples.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

For the most part, the content with the book is supported by current practices and many relevant examples. However, some of the examples, particularly those within the case studies can be outdated. Being that the book was written in 2019, it is likely missing vital examples and case studies from 2020 and 2021.

The book flows well and is written in a manner that is easily understood by undergraduate students.

Each chapter is set up in a similar fashion, making it easy for the reader to navigate the material. Along with this, each chapter has appropriate examples and exercises that correspond with the covered material.

Modularity rating: 4

The book is extensive, but each chapter is easily navigated by students. It would be very doable for instructors to piece together important information, or prioritize chapters without disrupting the students. The textbook is very lengthy, as are many Organizational Behavior texts, so it may be difficult for each chapter to be covered during a semester. However, due to the fact that each chapter is easily and readily divisible into smaller sections, or subsections, instructors can prioritize the information they would like to cover.

The organization of the textbook is clear and logical. There are proper transitions so the students are aware regarding what they should expect next.

Navigation is very easy for students to use. There are very few, if any, distractions throughout the text.

No grammatical errors were found throughout the text.

Great examples are used throughout the text to highlight cultural diversity within the workplace.

Overall, this is a great text for undergraduate Organizational Behavior courses. It is well written, offers many opportunities for students to apply their knowledge, and also covers a diverse range of topics.

Reviewed by Amanda Hinojosa, Assistant Professor, Howard University on 4/13/21

This book covers all of the topics one might expect from an Organizational Behavior course. Where it seems to differ from other Organizational Behavior books is the level of attention devoted to topics (some might for example focus less on... read more

This book covers all of the topics one might expect from an Organizational Behavior course. Where it seems to differ from other Organizational Behavior books is the level of attention devoted to topics (some might for example focus less on negotiation, while this book has a chapter on it; other books might have a chapter devoted just to individual differences, while this one focuses on individual differences and perception within one chapter).

The book contains accurate discussion of concepts, theories, and application.

The book has several case studies (usually one at the beginning and end of each chapter). These are great, but over time they may be a bit dated, for example if they reference a CEO of a company who is no longer the CEO of that company. However, users could create their own follow-up questions that account for what has happened since the case was written. Alternatively. if any future updates were made to this content, readers could benefit from a standard set of questions to add to the end of each case that would encourage the instructor and students to find out more to see if the implications of that case still apply based on the newer information on the company/CEO/manager described. For example, they use the case of Indra Nooyi as CEO of Pepsi and talk about her as though she is currently the CEO, but her tenure as CEO ended in 2018.

The book is easy to read and all terms are appropriately explained and defined.

There is not much of an underlying framework that requires terms to be used from one chapter to the next (e.g. there are not many cases where something is defined early on and then revisited later in the book). In other words, the chapter numbers don't imply sequence so there is enough consistency across chapters to allow for users to skip around the book and still have the relevant information within that chapter without having to consult other sections to understand. There is consistency in the way each chapter is presented and the supplementary points in each. I describe more about this consistency in organization in the modularity and organization sections.

The content is very modular and can easily be referred to in larger or smaller parts. The chapters are each broken into sub-sections, which can be linked directly (e.g. https://open.lib.umn.edu/organizationalbehavior/chapter/3-2-the-interactionist-perspective-the-role-of-fit/) or the chapter as a whole could be linked https://open.lib.umn.edu/organizationalbehavior/part/chapter-3-understanding-people-at-work-individual-differences-and-perception/) Each page is dedicated to a sub-section, and the links are embedded to the sidebar table of contents which would allow users to further click through to the area that they are looking for if they know the number and/or title of the sub-section they are interested in.

The topics are presented clearly and in a logical fashion. The book does not require much sequential introduction of content, so users could easily find only chapters they want to teach in the order they wish to teach them and assign them in a way that differs from the numerical sequence in the book.

Images are displayed clearly. Content navigation is easy with the clickable sub-section links, but users might also be able to use the pdf version if they are unable to access the internet. Users of the pdf version would need information on section titles, as there are no page numbers in the web-based interface for the version. However, if they have the information for chapter and/or sub-section number and title, they would be able to sufficiently navigate the pdf to find the content needed.

I have not found any grammatical errors in my use of this book.

The book designates a chapter to demographic diversity and cultural diversity and includes one sub-section at the end of each chapter that briefly describes cultural differences in relation to the content from that chapter. It could be more comprehensive in its discussion of cultural diversity, but I have not found evidence to suggest that it is insensitive or offensive in its coverage of topics.

I have used this book in my course for three years now, and overall I really like it. The links are really easy to integrate into my LMS (BlackBoard) to guide discussions and assign specific parts of the reading. There are some places where the book makes reference to "your instructor has this information" as though there are accompanying Instructor Resources but I am unaware of how to access those if they do exist. It tends to be on active learning possibilities (e.g. the negotiation chapter references roles that the instructor would distribute). It doesn't affect the use too much, it just means that I end up choosing a different activity that doesn't reference other resources which I don't have access to.

Reviewed by Jim Hickel, Adjunct Instructor, American University on 3/15/21

The book covers all the relevant topics for organizational behavior. No index or glossary, but the search function is effective for that purpose. read more

The book covers all the relevant topics for organizational behavior. No index or glossary, but the search function is effective for that purpose.

No errors or biases were uncovered in my use of this book.

The book was current as of its 2017 publication date, which is about as high as most expectations would go for a free online textbook. Instructors will have to provide class updates, particularly in the rapidly-changing field of diversity. For example: I didn't find any reference to "inclusion" in the diversity chapter (or anywhere else in the book, if the search function was accurate), which is an important concept and should be stressed by the instructor.

The text is very clear, and written to be understood at the undergraduate level.

No inconsistences were uncovered in my use of the book.

Each chapter works effectively as a stand-alone discussion of the topic. They can readily be realigned.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The book is generally well organized. The organization could be enhanced if there were an up-front "umbrella" model for organizational behavior that tied together all the subjects covered in the textbook. The Organization-Group-Individual model introduced in Chapter 1 doesn't easily relate to the concepts discussed in each chapter. An instructor may find it useful to present a different OB model (for example, Inputs-Processes-Outputs) that to show how all the chapter topics fit together into one overall concept, so students can track where they are in the model.

The interface worked out very well for my class. I was able to set up links to each chapter in the relevant sections of the learning management system (in this case, Blackboard). Students appreciated the ability to have direct links to the relevant textbook readings for each class -- and also appreciated that it was available at no additional cost to them.

No grammatical or language errors were uncovered in my reading and use of the book.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

Generally sensitive to cultural issues. Instructors may want to point out to their class that the "Masculinity-Femininity" dimension of Hofstede's Cultural Framework (Section 2.3 of the book), which draws upon stereotypes that were used in Hofstede's time, has largely evolved into the "Aggressive-Nurturing" dimension.

Very useful book, as good as any fundamental Organizational Behavior textbook I've ever read from any publisher. However, because of its age and the rapid evolution of organizational behavior, instructors will have to be careful to provide in-class updates.

Reviewed by Laura Boehme, Chief Information/Human Resources Officer; Faculty, Central Oregon Community College on 1/12/21

This book is extremely comprehensive and covers a the broad variety of organizational behavior topics. Each chapter is clearly titled, provides an outline, key terms, and summary of learning outcomes. Additionally, it includes critical thinking... read more

This book is extremely comprehensive and covers a the broad variety of organizational behavior topics. Each chapter is clearly titled, provides an outline, key terms, and summary of learning outcomes. Additionally, it includes critical thinking cases and assessments to expand and practice learning concepts. One additional feature is a link to a collaborative group area to further engage in the topics.

The book content are accurate and rooted in current organizational practices. The topics are also relevant to existing issues in organizations such as cultural awareness, diversity, ethics, stress/well-being, and power and politics. No significant errors or bias were found in the contents. The book also includes numerous authors with a variety of expertise, further enhancing the accuracy and relevance of topics.

The book was written in 2019 and includes current and relevant topics facing organizations. Each chapter is comprised of concepts, strategies, questions, and practical applications, allowing the learner to gain an in-depth exposure to the organizational behavior content. The text is written in a way that will allow easy updates in the future and the content has staying power.

The textbook and chapters are clearly outlined with key terms, learning outcomes, and high levels of structure and consistency. The text is written in understandable terms, with appropriate introductions for the learner, relevant examples to demonstrate concepts, and opportunities to practice to further gain clarity.

The structure of the book is internally consistent for each chapter, giving the learner an opportunity to understand the layout and approach of the book and its chapters. This structure enhances the learner's ability to absorb and practice the materials, cases, and assessments.

The text is very modular and could be assigned and/or used as structured or can be utilized out of order. Chapter 1 appears to be a foundational chapter so it would be best to start there as it gives a nice overview of organizational behavior. The lower rating on this aspect of the textbook is primarily because there are so many chapters (19 total), that it might be challenging to cover all of the content in a typical term or semester. So the instructor and student would need to prioritize the most important concepts.

The organization, structure, and flow of the textbook, the chapters, and the information within the chapters is highly structured. It is consistent for both the learner and the instructor, offering predictability and ease of planning. The table of contents is well-organized with clear chapter titles, sub-sections, and additional resources. The flow of topics makes sense, but also allows for modularity and flexibility.

The interface is user-friendly, easy to find information, and intuitive. Navigation is straight-forward and there are helpful guides and prompts to ensure the reader knows how to progress through the content. The images and data within the chapters is laid out and organized in a professional manner. This is a very mature-looking OER textbook.

No obvious grammatical or spelling errors were found in the text. It appears to have been well-edited and prepared for use. There are multiple author contributors which helps ensure content validity and accuracy.

The textbook appears to be culturally aware. There are multiple chapters on diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness. The pictures include people of color and also address diversity of approaches and perspectives in organizational behavior.

This OER textbook book is ready to go for both the instructor and student. The topic is interesting and relevant. The content is well-organized. There are additional chapter resources to enhance learning and teaching. Overall I highly recommend this textbook. The instructor would have a relatively easy time developing a syllabus and course activities that are based on the identified learning outcomes.

Reviewed by Tracey Sigler, Associate Professor, The Citadel on 11/30/20

Covers all the traditional topics read more

Covers all the traditional topics

High quality

The book is a few years old but it is easy to supplement with new concepts and current examples.

the online format makes it easy to read find and small sections of the chapters.

Well organized - make sense to the reaer

high quality

appropriate

I have used this book for a couple of years for an MBA OB class. It provides good coverage of the basic concepts and some cases and activities that have been useful. I supplement the class with my own links to videos and articles. I am thinking of using this in my undergrad class as well. The author is disguised but is well-known and respected in the field. Students appreciate being to use an open resource.

Reviewed by Ken Grunes, Assistant Professor, Framingham State University on 5/27/20

The layout of the textbook follows a logical progression which is both complete and the proper depth. read more

The layout of the textbook follows a logical progression which is both complete and the proper depth.

The authors have allowed multiple perspectives and theories are supported by empirical evidence.

The most relatable topics are covered proportional to students' interest levels.

Clarity rating: 4

Most of the material could be enhanced by a terminology glossary at the beginning of each chapter.

Terms and concepts carry the same explanation and context from one chapter to the next.

Chapters and subject matter are clearly delineated and can be appreciated as a stand alone module.

The text is presented in a logical progression from "Individual", "Groups", and finally "Organizations".

Interface rating: 4

Information is presented in a straight forward manner with few distraction.

the text appears to be free from grammatical errors.

Good sensitivity to multi-cultural class composition.

The textbook appears to be complete.

Reviewed by Leslie Bleskachek, Adjunct professor, Minnesota State College Southeast, Minnesota State University System on 3/7/20

The textbook includes some valuable topics that are often not discussed in other texts, namely the study of power and politics. The first chapter also includes an introduction of why this study is important, which is an interesting inclusion. At... read more

The textbook includes some valuable topics that are often not discussed in other texts, namely the study of power and politics. The first chapter also includes an introduction of why this study is important, which is an interesting inclusion. At the start of each section, the learning objectives are listed. The toolbox and exercises are great additions that allow students to quickly apply new learning in their environment. This is a sort of embedded workbook that assists instructors in developing activities related to the text. This work is more than a narrative or relevant facts; there are a lot of activities and case studies included to aid student understanding.

The work is accurate. There are in text citations as well as bibliographies to provide opportunities for further research.

Much of the research and information included is very recent and citations are included if readers wish to read the original work. Section 1.5 on Trends and Changes could easily be updated as needed, allowing the work to remain up to date in future iterations.

The language is clear, has little jargon, and is easy to read and interpret. The key takeaways aid student understanding and ensure the main objective is understood for each section.

There is consistency throughout the document with similar formatting in each section to aid navigation and understanding.

With the learning objectives clearly outlined, it would be easy to break this work into smaller modules or recombine sections into lessons. Also, with exercises, case studies and other tools provided, this work could easily be utilized in various ways.

It was an unusual choice to include the learning style inventory in this text and unclear why it was placed after the introduction to this specific material. It might be more appropriately placed in a preface. While the information was organized clearly within sections and was well labeled, it is not clear why the authors decided to start with specifics first rather than an overview of organizational behavior first and then following with specifics. It might be more logical to begin with the content that is in sections 14 and 15.

The exercises, key takeaways, etc. are well organized and help focus learning. The use of graphics and visual representation of data was well deployed throughout to help break up long sections of text. The inclusion of case studies in each section was a great way to aid understanding and demonstrate the concepts on real world situations. The interface worked smoothly and consistently with no difficulties noted. The organization was easy to navigate for the end user.

There were no grammatical errors identified

The work uses appropriate language and displays cultural sensitivity. Although it is also addressed in other sections, there is a section that specifically addresses various concerns related to multiculturalism and the diverse nature of organizations today.

This is a comprehensive work that includes engaging, current organizational situations to illustrate concepts. This is more than just a narrative or literature review of the subject. The textbook also includes numerous current case studies, exercises, ways to apply the learning and challenge thinking. Combined with the learning objectives outlined at the start of each section, this work provides a great deal of easy to understand content and is user friendly for both students and teachers alike.

Reviewed by Yefim Khaydatov, Lecturer, LAGCC on 12/5/18, updated 12/12/18

Textbook covers the appropriate range of topics in the course. read more

Textbook covers the appropriate range of topics in the course.

Organizational Behavior - 2017 accurately

The content is up-to-date, consists of recent research and literature. The textbook reflects the most recent information and arranged in a manner that makes necessary updates easy to implement.

The textbook is written in a clear, appropriate and accessible language.

The text is consistent in terminology and framework within and throughout the chapters.

The textbook has easily divided sections to quickly navigate through the various chapters and sections of the textbook.

The textbook follows the sequence of topics as expected in the industry when compared with other textbooks written on the same subject of organizational behavior.

No issues have been encountered and use of the online version is user friendly.

No grammatical errors were noted.

The text reflects appropriate and inclusive language.

The textbook provides a wonderful resource in each chapter for discussion through the case scenarios, short vignettes, questions, group activities and a wide range of exercises. A rich selection of video clips to complement the Ethical Dilemma exercises in the chapters would be a wonderful addition to see added in the next publication or version of the textbook. Thank you.

Reviewed by Rose Helens-Hart, Assistant Professor, Fort Hays State University on 11/28/18

Text covers the major topics one would expect to see in a 200-300 level OB course. Would have liked to see more on vocational/workplace socialization. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Text covers the major topics one would expect to see in a 200-300 level OB course. Would have liked to see more on vocational/workplace socialization.

Did not notice errors.

Uses relevant business cases, which will need to be updated in a few years.

Very readable but still sounds like a textbook. Formatting of bold words and summary/break out boxes makes the book conventional but also easy to access.

Terminology seemed to be used consistently.

Chapters are divided into short subsections making it easy to assign only portions of chapter reading.

Logical progression. I like that the chapter on managing demographic and cultural diversity is at the beginning. If you are following the order of information in the text, your class would begin with these important concepts.

Clear table of contents. Easy to navigate.

No grammatical errors noticed.

Text discusses "The Role of Ethics and National Culture" in each chapter, which is nice. More elements of diversity and intersectionality, however, could be considered in examples. "Managing" diversity is a very traditional way to look at difference.

Using sections of it for a professional business communication class. Many topics covered such as managing conflict and teams, are relevant to professional, business, and organizational communication classes.

Reviewed by Justin Greenleaf, Associate Professor, Fort Hays State University on 11/1/18

This book does an excellent job of providing an overview of the major topics associated with organizational behavior. Given the comprehensive nature of the book, it could potentially be a relevant resource in a variety of classes/topics related to... read more

This book does an excellent job of providing an overview of the major topics associated with organizational behavior. Given the comprehensive nature of the book, it could potentially be a relevant resource in a variety of classes/topics related to communication, group dynamics, organizational leadership, and others.

The content included in this book is both accurate and well supported. It does a good job of connecting important theories and concepts with helpful practical examples.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Many of the theories and concepts in this book are up-to-date and will not be obsolete anytime soon. However, many of the examples will fail to be relevant in the near future. The book could be improved by providing permanent links to some of the external resources.

The text is easy to read and flows in a way that is engaging. The presentation of the content is free from technical jargon.

The text is consistent in the way the chapters are presented. As the reader moves from section to section, it is clear that the chapters have a unifying theme and format throughout.

The text is chunked into logical and easily readable sections. The various chapters are accompanied by tools and resources to help the reader think critically about the content in the chapter.

I was impressed with the way the book was organized. When thinking about the topic of Organizational Behavior, it can be challenging to decide where to start and how to organize the content. This book does a nice job organizing the various topics by themes and providing appropriate sub-headings to help the reader make sense of the overarching concepts of the book.

The website interface seems to be the easiest to use and navigate. When I downloaded the pdf, there were some issues with the formatting of the content. Some of the pictures were not there anymore and some of the formatting was a little off. I feel like the impact these issues had on the usefulness of the book was minimal, but they were noticeable.

I did not notice any grammatical errors, which was nice.

There was nothing in this book that I found to be culturally insensitive or offensive. If anything the book content provided insights into how to be more culturally competent.

I appreciate the time and effort that was put into creating this resource. One of the challenges of using open educational resources is finding a one that is high-quality, and I believe the content in this book to be high-quality.

Reviewed by Stephanie McWilliams, ClinicInstructor, West Virginia University on 5/21/18

This book includes many topics that others in this area do not, such as interpersonal interaction tactics and diversity considerations. Segments that are boxed that include applied ideas are especially pertinent for my internship students. read more

This book includes many topics that others in this area do not, such as interpersonal interaction tactics and diversity considerations. Segments that are boxed that include applied ideas are especially pertinent for my internship students.

The text is relatively error free that appears to be all-inclusive from my perspective.

In the area of professionalism, the dynamics are always changing, especially with the influence of technology. As a result, I imagine that this book may need updates every 5 years or so to stay relevant.

This text is easy to read and follow. Terms are used correctly, and defined if not commonly understood.

There is a definite framework to this text. Information interlaces with cases and applied examples will allow students to connect ideas to real-life scenarios.

With just 15 chapters, each is well divided in a predictable fashion. This also aligns well with a typical semester of 16 weeks.

The flow of this text makes it easy to follow and to break up into what may be presented in a lecture format and what students can work through on their own.

The flow of topics builds in a logical manner for students learning about working in a professional setting.

There do not appear to be any major distortions what would cause confusion. The clarity of some of the graphics or photos are a bit grainy, but not so much so that it is difficult to read or see.

The grammar appears correct throughout.

With a large section devoted to multicultural diversity, I would rate this text highly for cultural relevance.

It is a challenge to find a text for an internship course, but this text fits the bill nicely. I will likely supplement with a chapter or two from other text or some articles, but plan to use this book in the very near future.

Reviewed by Meredith Burnett, Professorial Lecturer, American University on 2/1/18

The text covers all areas and Ideas of organizational behavior including aspects of both demographic and cultural diversity, individual differences and perception, individual attitudes and behaviors, and theories of motivation. This text also... read more

The text covers all areas and Ideas of organizational behavior including aspects of both demographic and cultural diversity, individual differences and perception, individual attitudes and behaviors, and theories of motivation. This text also includes a table of contents.

The content includes accurate, error-free, and unbiased information. For instance, the section on diversity refers to the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws prohibiting discrimination.

The content is up-to-date and can be easily updated with more recent information. There is a photo of Ursula Burns, who became president of Xerox Corporation in 2007. Her photo can be replaced, for instance, by a photo of another black female who becomes president of a corporation.

In general, the text is free from jargon and US colloquialisms. However, the text defines and expatriate as as someone who is temporarily assigned to a position in a foreign country. Some readers may be sensitive to the use of the term "foreign" to describe a country.

The text is consistent is in terms of terminology and framework. The terms culture and society are used interchangeably to describe national culture and some readers may be confused by the use of both terms.

The text is easy to read and divided into sections with headings and subheadings to make it easier for readers to navigate the text.

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. However, organizational culture and organizational structure are near the end of the text and student might benefit from learning about those topics before being asked to understand the design of work environments and individual attitudes and behaviors.

The text is free of interface issues.

There are no obvious grammatical errors in the text.

The text includes examples of successful individuals from a variety of ethnic backgrounds including Guy Kawasaki.

The book includes exercises following each chapter. However, may of the exercises such as those in Section 2.4 are, in fact, discussion questions rather than exercises.

Reviewed by Stacey Young, Associate Professor, Northern Virginia Community College on 6/20/17

This book does a good job in covering relevant topics related to organizational behavior. The format is user friendly, along with providing discussion questions, case studies, exercises, and takeaways. There are appropriate graphics/pictures... read more

This book does a good job in covering relevant topics related to organizational behavior. The format is user friendly, along with providing discussion questions, case studies, exercises, and takeaways. There are appropriate graphics/pictures that quickly support and reinforce key concepts. Moreover, I love that there are ongoing references to the importance of ethics with an activity related to an ethical dilemma.

The book overall is accurate. There weren't any major issues identified.

The content is relevant and covers normal organizational behavior topics address in any text.

The writing in this book is rather clear. However, there are opportunities to improve the grammar and sentence structure.

This text is consistent with other text's terminology, structure, and data to support he position offered.

This text is ready to be separated into unique, standalone learning packages.

I like the book's flow. It's logically organized in a way that each chapter builds on the previous one.

No interface issues identified.

There aren't any noticeable grammar issues, but the sentence structure should be reviewed for better clarity

Cultural Relevance rating: 1

There are opportunities to select pictures that are reflective of a diverse population.

This is the first open textbook I've reviewed. Previously, I had considerations that open source material might not be that good; however, with this book, I was amazingly surprised. I will seriously consider using this text for my organizational behavior class.

Reviewed by Atul Mitra, Professor, University of Northern Iowa on 2/15/17

This OB textbook covers all major as well as supporting topics related the OB field. The last two chapters are devoted to macro topics (Chapter 14: Organizational Structure and Change and Chapter 15: Organizational Culture); thus, implying... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

This OB textbook covers all major as well as supporting topics related the OB field. The last two chapters are devoted to macro topics (Chapter 14: Organizational Structure and Change and Chapter 15: Organizational Culture); thus, implying authors’ intent to provide comprehensive coverage. The textbook, though, is dated both in terms of scholarly references and the case studies used to inform the reader about the relevance of OB topics. Also, the textbook is more reliant on applied sources to support concepts. The pdf version of the textbook does not have a list of scholarly references. The HTML version does have these references, but they are included in within the text and, thus, negatively impact the flow and readability. I could not find a subject index or “glossary of terms” at the end of the textbook. Finally, the book lacks instructor’s resource material.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book reads well and provides good examples to clarify basic concepts. The authors provide unbiased and thoughtful insights from scholarly sources in a very relatable fashion.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 1

This is one of the significant weakness of this textbook. The scholarly sources are dated. Case studies are also old, though still useful. Some of the in-text online links do not work. In short, this textbook is due for a major revision and would require the authors to revise all aspects of the textbook considerably. This revision would be a major undertaking and a challenge for the authors.

Clarity rating: 3

Each chapter is divided into several sub-sections. Each sub-section covers a major OB topic. The authors have done an excellent job of providing a logical and clear description of topics within each chapter. However, there is no overall framework that can easily connect topics across all 15 chapters. This may explain a somewhat random sequence of topics of 15 chapters. For example, “emotions,” “communication” or “decision-making” topics are useful in the understanding of concepts of motivation and teamwork. However, these topics are not covered prior to the coverage of motivation.

Consistency rating: 3

The coverage of each topic within a chapter by the authors is consistent. The formatting and style are also highly consistent throughout the textbook. An addition of an overall framework and an integrative case study would help provide consistency of topics across chapters.

The textbook is very modular. Specifically, the HTML format of this textbook allows each sub-section to act as a module. Any instructor, interested in adopting this textbook should look into HTML format based modules (sub-sections) as a way to customize the textbook. This may be this textbook’s significant strength.

Organization/structure of this textbook is clear within a chapter. As I have stated in my review in another section, the textbook can be improved by connecting topics across chapters using a broad framework as well as by incorporating an integrated case study.

Interface rating: 2

The pdf version of the textbook is difficult to navigate. Even though I found the HTML version to be more user-friendly, this format did have some weaknesses as well. The scholarly references in the HTML version are included within the text and negatively impact readability. I could not find a subject-index or “glossary of terms” at the end of the textbook. Many online links do not work anymore. Since the textbook does not include a subject index or glossary of key terms, it would make it difficult for students to find definitions easily. Overall, the textbook can significantly benefit from a much-improved interface.

The textbook is free of any grammatical errors.

Chapter 2 of the textbook offers a comprehensive coverage about the relevance and importance of demographic and cultural diversity. In addition, each chapter contains a sub-section “The Role of Ethics and National Culture” to ensure that students understand cultural relevance of OB concepts. This issue is clearly a strength of this textbook.

Overall, this textbook is a good option for those instructors that already have a good portfolio of instructional resources. The textbook does not appear to provide PowerPoint slides or a Test Bank. However, if an instructor is looking for a good OB textbook for an introductory OB course; s/he might wish to take a look at this textbook as a possible option because it is well-written and provides a comprehensive coverage of major OB topics. It also provides students with several useful applied examples, though these examples are somewhat dated. This textbook may not work for those instructors that wish to use an OB textbook based on current examples or an OB textbook that cites current scholarly references. To conclude, with significant interface improvements and a major revision, this could become an excellent option for both students and instructors.

Reviewed by Christopher Reina, Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University on 2/8/17

The major areas of OB are covered comprehensively. The textbook goes into an appropriate amount of depth for each of the expected topics. It discusses each of the topics through both an ethics and national culture lens at the end of each chapter... read more

The major areas of OB are covered comprehensively. The textbook goes into an appropriate amount of depth for each of the expected topics. It discusses each of the topics through both an ethics and national culture lens at the end of each chapter which represents a major strength of the textbook. The PDF version did not include a table of contents, index, or glossary which would further add to the comprehensiveness of the textbook.

The content was accurate and unbiased. The information was presented in a straight-forward way and cited published work from a wide variety of sources.

The topics covered are relevant and timely-- however, many of the citations are a bit dated. The case studies still are largely relevant even though there may exist better, more recent examples to discuss. I really appreciate the extent to which the authors integrate real-life examples of companies/leaders but the downside of this is that it limits the time the textbook can remain highly relevant without being updated. Additionally, there were several broken weblinks that need to be updated.

The writing is clear, easy to understand, and flows well. The authors do a good job of making concepts and ideas accessible for students. Authors avoided use of jargon without first defining it well and establishing the context.

The structure is easy to follow, straight-forward, and consistent.

The textbook does a good job of re-introducing ideas later in the text hat may have been covered earlier in the text which adds to the modularity of the textbook. I would not hesitate to assign specific chapters and/or assign chapters out of order for this reason.

The topic order makes logical sense and the topics build well off of each other. In the first chapter, the authors discuss levels of analysis (individual, team, and organizational) and they could perhaps return to this framework more frequently in order to guide the reader.

Interface rating: 3

For the most part, the figures and tables are clear and easy to understand. There are some figures that appear a bit distorted and/or difficult to read due to color choices. Bolding concepts or words that are defined in the text and adding a definition of the word in the margin would aid students in studying and easily identifying new concepts/concepts to study. In the PDF, there were several instances in which chapters did not start on a new page (and instead started mid-page) which was distracting.

Grammar was strong throughout the text.

This text's chapter on diversity as well as the reference to diversity issues throughout the text is a major strength. Ending each chapter with a discussion of how national culture and ethics is relevant to the topic was a powerful way to discuss diversity and continually challenge students to consider the topics from diverse perspectives.

This textbook is well-written, comprehensive, and is an excellent resource for students and faculty. The material is presented in an effective, accessible way and the integration of the "OB Toolbox" is especially useful for students to understand how to practically apply the concepts they are learning. I especially appreciated the attention to detail and comprehensiveness of the diversity chapter as well as the discussion of diversity topics throughout each chapter. The questions at the end of each chapter for reflection could push students a bit further in engaging with the material, and I would like to see some updates to the textbook when it comes to topics that should be covered (such as mindfulness and presenteeism) as well as case studies and examples from the last 3-5 years. A glossary, works cited, table of contents, and index would all be useful additions to the PDF version of the textbook, and it would be helpful if concept words defined in the text were also defined in the margins of the text in order to facilitate student recognition of topics they need understand and be able to define. Overall, this textbook is solid and I would not hesitate to use it for an undergraduate class in Organizational Behavior (although I would supplement it with readings and material from other sources as I would with any other textbook).

Reviewed by Rae Casey, Associate Professor , George Fox University on 2/8/17

The text was comprehensive, covering areas that are important when teaching organizational behavior. Some of the topic areas, such as diversity and ethics, are more comprehensive than others, but all topics are covered well enough for entry-level... read more

The text was comprehensive, covering areas that are important when teaching organizational behavior. Some of the topic areas, such as diversity and ethics, are more comprehensive than others, but all topics are covered well enough for entry-level students. The text included a comprehensive table of contents, but no index or glossary.

The textbook was accurate and covered a number of important topics in an interesting manner. I thought the advertised experiential approach was evident and well done.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

The concepts described in the text can survive over time, but the cases quickly date the contents. Since the concepts in the cases are integrated into the text, updating could be time consuming. I tried the text in both the .pdf and online formats, and found difficulties with the links in both. I had the best luck with the online format, although many of the links were no longer valid. When I copied and pasted the links from the .pdf version, I got many errors, some indicating I needed login information to access the site.

I liked this text. The information was presented in way that made it easy to understand and apply. Jargon and terms were well explained.

This text was well written and consistent throughout.

This text is well organized. The subheadings in the chapters create appropriate modules to support teachers as they create assignments, and students as they complete them.

The text is well organized and structured. The content flow is great, but, as previously mentioned, there are a number of links, some of which no longer lead anywhere.

Navigating the text by using the online Table of Contents was straightforward, although I did want to simply scroll to the next page instead of having to use a "next section" link, but that was minor. The .pdf format of the text was convenient if one wants to print the pages, but navigation of the .pdf format online required scrolling through the text. It would have been helpful to have a "bookmark" or similar feature to easily highlight important concepts or see where I stopped reading.

I noted no errors.

I especially appreciated the way this text discussed sensitive topics associated with gender, race, ethnicity, perception, etc.

I liked this textbook. I thought the exercises were generally good, as were the "Key Takeaway" and "OB Toolbox" sections. The text was dated, which tends to be noted by students and can lead to lost credibility. I appreciate the work that went into writing this text and could use portions of it, but would need to check the links before each course, or provide others for my students. Overall, this is a great text, but I recommend checking the details before adoption.

Reviewed by Marcia Hagen, Associate Professor, Metropolitan State on 8/21/16

Has chapters on the major themes such as diversity, decision making, motivation, ethics, and leadership to name a few; goes over the major theories. It does not go particularly deeply into any one area, but provides a solid look at a wide variety... read more

Has chapters on the major themes such as diversity, decision making, motivation, ethics, and leadership to name a few; goes over the major theories. It does not go particularly deeply into any one area, but provides a solid look at a wide variety of topics, concepts, and theories.

In terms of editing and proofing, this book does quite well. Writing is unbiased and reports materials that are accurate.

This is an area in which the text needs improvement. Few if any examples are from 2009 or later. The book is a good one, but cases need updating. Updating may be difficult for instructors to implemenet, due to the imbedding of cases into so many areas of the text. In addition, nearly half of the links provided in the text no longer work.

Text is very clear. I am impressed with the writing. In particular they did a good job of describing relatively complex theories with simple and understandable language.

The books is highly consistent in terms of formatting and style--as soon as Chapter 1 is complete, students should have a clear vision of what to expect for upcoming chapters.

This text is highly modular. In particular, the use of objectives for each section of each chapter allows for picking and choosing by instructors.

This book is well-organized and clear. Because OB is generally a set of very inter-related concepts, organization/flow is not perfect, but this book is as good as others I have seen in this area.

This is an area of improvement for this text. In particular links to outside web sites are out of date and many link to dead web sites. In addition, of the few images that are included in the text, several flow over 2 pages making them difficult to read.

Good grammar used throughout the text--few issues detected.

This text includes a good deal of discussion related to diversity, ethnicity, gender, and other issues culture in this text. I found the discussion in these areas to be both relevant and thoughtful.

There are several things about this text that I like. In particular, I think this would be a great book to use within an introductory OB course; it is well-written and thorough in terms of the breadth and depth of topics covered. The "OB Toolbox" sections give students many tips on getting, keeping, and succeeding their first professional job--that is great. However, there are a few areas of concern, as well. In particular, many links do not work and the cases are somewhat out of date (which poses a particular challenge due to the major economic changes that have taken place for several companies referred to in the text and cases). Before implementing this text, I would take time to review any potential overlap with other courses. But overall, this is a solid intro OB text.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Organizational Behavior
• Chapter 2: Managing Demographic and Cultural Diversity
• Chapter 3: Understanding People at Work: Individual Differences and Perception
• Chapter 4: Individual Attitudes and Behaviors
• Chapter 5: Theories of Motivation
• Chapter 6: Designing a Motivating Work Environment
• Chapter 7: Managing Stress and Emotions
• Chapter 8: Communication
• Chapter 9: Managing Groups and Teams
• Chapter 10: Conflict and Negotiations
• Chapter 11: Making Decisions
• Chapter 12: Leading People Within Organizations
• Chapter 13: Power and Politics
• Chapter 14: Organizational Structure and Change
• Chapter 15: Organizational Culture

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Organizational Behavior bridges the gap between theory and practice with a distinct "experiential" approach.

On average, a worker in the USA will change jobs 10 times in 20 years. In order to succeed in this type of career situation, individuals need to be armed with the tools necessary to be life-long learners. To that end, this book is not be about giving students all the answers to every situation they may encounter when they start their first job or as they continue up the career ladder. Instead, this book gives students the vocabulary, framework, and critical thinking skills necessary to diagnose situations, ask tough questions, evaluate the answers received, and to act in an effective and ethical manner regardless of situational characteristics.

Often, students taking OB either do not understand how important knowledge of OB can be to their professional careers, or they DO understand and they want to put that knowledge into practice. Organizational Behavior takes a more experiential angle to the material to meet both of those needs. The experiential approach can be incorporated in the classroom primarily through the "OB Toolbox." This feature brings life to the concepts and allows students to not only see how the OB theories unfold, but to practice them, as well.

Contribute to this Page

• University Libraries
• Research Guides
• Subject Guides

Organizational Studies

• Case Studies
• Articles & Journals
• Books & References
• Corporate Responsibility
• Country Profiles
• Business Etiquette
• Public Companies
• Doing International Business

Case Studies Collections

The library provides access to many case studies, but NOT Harvard Business Review studies. Below are a list of studies provided via the library and free sites.

• The Case Centre (free) A growing range of free cases produced by a number of prominent schools and organisations across the globe. Must register to access .

Login only with UNM NetID. For more information visit https://libguides.unm.edu/Safari

• Ivey Business School (free) Ivey at the University of Western Ontario provides Complimentary Cases.
• MIT LearningEdge (free) Cases cover the subjects: entrepreneurship, leadership/ethics, operations management, strategy, sustainability, and system dynamics.
• Stanford Business (some free) Use the Narrow Your Results option to select subjects and "Available to download at no charge."

Case Study Journals

• Case Studies in Business, Industry & Government Statistics (free) Open Journal via Societe Francaise de Statistique. Cases are in English.
• << Previous: Doing International Business
• Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024 11:47 AM
• URL: https://libguides.unm.edu/org

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website.

• My Wishlist
• Customer Login / Registration

FB Twitter linked in Youtube G+

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

• MARKETING MANAGEMENT
• STATISTICS FOR MANAGEMENT
• HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
• STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
• OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
• MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS
• FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
• CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
• BRAND MANAGEMENT
• MARKETING RESEARCH
• SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
• ENTREPRENEURSHIP & STARTUPS
• CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES
• CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
• ADVERTISING
• BUSINESS ANALYTICS
• BUSINESS ETHICS
• DIGITAL MARKETING
• HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
• SALES AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT
• FAMILY BUSINESS
• MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT
• CORPORATE CASES
• Case Debate
• Course Case Maps
• Sample Case Studies
• IIM KOZHIKODE
• VINOD GUPTA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, IIT KHARAGPUR
• GSMC - IIM RAIPUR
• IMT GHAZIABAD
• INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISE
• IBM Corp. & SAP SE
• Classroom Classics
• Free Products
• Case Workshops
• Home       
• Case Categories       

Embracing the Change: A Caselet on Transition from Offline Teaching to Online Teaching in Higher Education

Team building through experiential training, sevji and sons, eat and deliver: the crisis at tomato ltd., rise and fall of a business leader – floored after hitting the glass ceiling, stratagem consultants: different strokes for different folks, should an indian's patriotism be judged based on his/her adherence to a mandated practice during a film's screening, how to prevent workplace toxicity, who should decide a student’s career choice parents’ diktat or self-calling, should uniform be made compulsory for college and university students, should screen time be reduced for kids, how to promote civic sense amongst indians, juniper products company – politics in teams, cost of employee loyalty@anand finance.

Are Assumptions Impeding Communications at Nikunj Builders?

• last 6 months (0)
• last 12 months (0)
• last 24 months (0)
• older than 24 months (86)
• HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (3)
• ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (83)
• Banking (1)
• E-commerce (1)
• Education (2)
• Food and Beverages (3)
• CASE BOARD (1)
• CASE BRIEF (2)
• CASE DEBATE (6)
• CASE FLYER (16)
• CASE LENS (12)
• CASE STUDY (24)
• CASE SUITE (6)
• CASE VIEW (7)
• CASELET (12)

Information

• Collaborations
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Case Format
• Pricing and Discount
• Subscription Model
• Case Writing Workshop
• Case Submission
• Reprint Permissions

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Phone: +91 9626264881

Email:  [email protected]

ET CASES develops customized case studies for corporate organizations / government and non-government institutions. Once the query  is generated, one of ET CASES’ Case Research Managers will undertake primary/secondary research and develop the case study. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] to place a query or get in touch with us.

Don’t miss out!

Be the first to hear about new cases, special promotions and more – just pop your email in the box below.

Critical Cases in Organisational Behaviour

• J. Martin Corbett

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Part of the book series: Management, Work and Organisations (MWO)

1717 Accesses

18 Citations

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Other ways to access.

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (9 chapters)

Front matter, case study analysis of organisational behaviour, analysing individual behaviour in organisations, the meaning of work, motivation and commitment, the management of meaning, motivation and commitment, analysing group behaviour in organisations, interpersonal relations and group decision-making, analysing organisational behaviour, inter-group relations, organisational design and change, technology and organisation, analysing organisational environments, organisation and environment, back matter.

• organization
• problem solving

About this book

About the author, bibliographic information.

Book Title : Critical Cases in Organisational Behaviour

Authors : J. Martin Corbett

Series Title : Management, Work and Organisations

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-23295-6

Publisher : Palgrave London

eBook Packages : Palgrave Business & Management Collection

Copyright Information : Macmillan Publishers Limited 1994

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XI, 304

Topics : Organization , Industrial, Organisational and Economic Psychology

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Critical Thinking Case

Diverse teams hold court.

Diverse teams have been proven to be better at problem-solving and decision-making for a number of reasons. First, they bring many different perspectives to the table. Second, they rely more on facts and use those facts to substantiate their positions. What is even more interesting is that, according to the Scientific American article “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter,” simply “being around people who are different from us makes more creative, diligent, and harder-working.”

One case in point is the example of jury decision-making, where fact-finding and logical decision-making are of utmost importance. A 2006 study of jury decision-making, led by social psychologist Samuel Sommers of Tufts University, showed that racially diverse groups exchanged a wider range of information during deliberation of a case than all-White groups did. The researcher also conducted mock jury trials with a group of real jurors to show the impact of diversity on jury decision-making.

Interestingly enough, it was the mere presence of diversity on the jury that made jurors consider the facts more, and they had fewer errors recalling the relevant information. The groups even became more willing to discuss the role of race case, when they hadn’t before with an all-White jury. This wasn’t the case because the diverse jury members brought new information to the group—it happened because, according to the author, the mere presence of diversity made people more open-minded and diligent. Given what we discussed on the benefits of diversity, it makes sense. People are more likely to be prepared, to be diligent, and to think logically about something if they know that they will be pushed or tested on it. And who else would push you or test you on something, if not someone who is different from you in perspective, experience, or thinking. “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.”

So, the next time you are called for jury duty, or to serve on a board committee, or to make an important decision as part of a team, remember that one way to generate a great discussion and come up with a strong solution is to pull together a diverse team.

• If you don’t have a diverse group of people on your team, how can you ensure that you will have robust discussions and decision-making? What techniques can you use to generate conversations from different perspectives?
• Evaluate your own team at work. Is it a diverse team? How would you rate the quality of decisions generated from that group?

Sources: Adapted from Katherine W. Phillips, “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter,” Scientific American , October 2014, p. 7–8.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/organizational-behavior/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: J. Stewart Black, David S. Bright
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Organizational Behavior
• Publication date: Jun 5, 2019
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/organizational-behavior/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/organizational-behavior/pages/10-critical-thinking-case

© Jan 9, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

• Privacy Policy

Organizational Behavior Case Study With Solution

Case study organizational behavior – introduction.

Diversity in the organization could be explained as the greater variety of solutions in the industry so that there could be the better focus on the customer demands. In this paper, there is the discussion regarding the Watsco, Inc. as the company encourage diversity so there could be innovation in the company products and the services and require diverse workforce so that there could be understanding of the diverse culture. Watsco Inc in the organization faced the issues regarding diversity in the ethnic and cultural differences of the workforce, as an employee faced issues of communication barriers, cultural differences, gender discrimination and generation gap in the company.

Diversity in organizational behavior

Organizational behavior could be described as the study that is relevant to the human behavior in the organizational settings, the organizational behaviors focus on the human behavior and organization. The company when requires the talents and experiences then there is the need to get or hire the employees; who have better knowledge in the field. The companies require diverse workforce so that there could be understanding of the diverse culture and so that the organization environment can be flexible in adapting fluctuating markets as well as there could better understand of the customer demands (Byrd & Scott, 2014).

Also Study: What is The Format of a Case Study

Through the diversity, there could be effective management of the diverse collection of skills and there could be wide strategies for the higher productivity in the company. Diversity may result in the issues that are related to the cultural and language barriers, as a company could also face the issues regarding the lack of teamwork and there could be result in the low morale but there can be new ideas in the company that inhibits progress (Powell, 2010).

Watsco, Inc.

The Watsco, Inc. it is the largest company which is known as the distributor of equipment related to the air conditioning, the heating, and refrigeration etc. The company is serving various customers as have the related parts and supplies or components and tools for the HVAC/R industry. The company is in the United States and Watsco Company was founded 60 years ago. Albert H. Nahmad is the current CEO of the company and the earned revenue about US$4.2 billion in 2016 (Dahlberg & Herald, 2017).

The Watsco Inc is focused on the digital transformations; the company has the efficient leaders, who are focused on the app creations so that there could be benefits in the tech transformation project. The company is seeking to transform so that there could be enhancement with the new applications in the industry with technology (Dahlberg & Herald, 2017). The leaders in the company believe on the innovation so that there could be the encouragement as the company is motivating the stakeholders and employees so that they could focus on the new revenue streams. The company in the technology platforms serves in the HVAC industry so that there could be the increase in the Watsco’s sales and so that there could be competitive advantages from the largest competitors.

Watsco Inc and cultural diversity

Watsco Inc in the organization faced the issues regarding diversity in the ethnic and cultural differences of the workforce. One of my friends named Michael was an employee there, he was an African American and was raised in South Africa, he faced communication barriers, issues related to ethnic and cultural differences and issues related to gender discrimination and generation gap there.

Moreover, Watsco Inc is also focused on to encourage diversity so that there could be the increase in the return on investment and so there could be innovation in the company products and the services. However, they are hiring the people or employees from the different background and the culture so that company could get relevant information about the different people and markets and there could be the better understanding of the HVAC industry.

Description of situation

My friend named Michael faced the issues regarding cultural diversity at the Watsco Inc. however; he is an African American and was raised in South Africa. Cultural diversity could be explained as the differences that could be there in the people of the organization and based on the reasons people feel superior to others. There could cultural differences based on the race, language, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, ability, culture, sexual orientation etc.

Diversity in the organization could be explained as the change, communication, and adaptability; however, there could changes in the organization employees due to this because there is the diverse workforce in the company and the organizations also recognizes the need for immediate action in order to get the effectiveness for the greater variety of solutions in the industry.

However, there could be differences in the country, region, city etc. there could be the variety of groups in the organization based on the aspects related to diversity. Cultural diversity can help the company to focus on the wide strategies for the higher productivity in the company. However, their cultural diversity may result in discrimination and low morale. Michael was also part of the diverse workforce in the company, where he focuses on the community loyalty and focus on the aspects related to innovation.

Cultural diversity is important because it helps the company to improved employee recruitment and retention and there could be effective in the business tasks, the business partners or the companies able to retain talent so that there could be efficient in the creativity and problem-solving. Companies are focused on the retention and productivity of the employees through bringing the cultural diversity and through enhancing the communication skills in the work environment (Gaudiano & Hunt, 2016).

Companies are investing in diversity with the focus on the talent management practices so that there could be effectiveness and company could able to survive the continually challenges. Watsco Inc. is also investing in the diversity and cultural differences practices so that there could be the focus on interaction with different cultures. However, the company focuses on increased productivity so that there could be the management of the new attitudes in the company and so that employees could focus on the new language skills.

Explanation of problem

Michael faced the issues regarding cultural diversity and discrimination in the organization. Focus on the matters of the cultural diversity, the organization can and the people could have the unique perspective about it, Watsco Inc also focused on the unique and innovative culture, so that there could be betterment, commitment in the organization and people from the different background can bring the effectiveness in the tasks.

A few months back, Michael started a job as an HR consultant in the Watsco Inc. he faced issues regarding the culture and communication barriers because the people who were at higher post feel as a superior and knowledgeable person. Michael is African American and was from South Africa so do not know much about the American culture, based on that some of the subordinates were cooperative to him and some of them made his fun.

Moreover, Michael also faced the issues from the management as he was not involved in the decision-making process because other subordinates think that he does not know anything about the management, even he had work experience in management in an organization in South Africa. Michel has to leave the company after four months because he was not tolerated in the workplace. The company had the policies regarding the appropriate training but he was not given the training because there was no acceptance and respect for him and there were unfair prejudices among diversified which he had to face.

There were dominant cultural and the dominant genders in the organization; most of the people are Americans in the company; they do not allow others to get involved with them and contribute in the organizational matters. However, the supervisor and the head of a department were females, so they involve only women in most of the matters. Watsco Inc. only focuses on the innovative ways in order to attract the customers and increase the sales, the company is focused on the diversity so that there could be effective ways, in order to improve the new employees.

However, he faced the conflicts related to the discrimination, prejudice as well as the racism, and a lack of respect. There was conflict among employees in the company and sometimes the situations there become violent. The situation for him turns explosive and there was no diversity training was given to him. Michael faced the disrespect and discrimination at the job performance because people there had the unfair prejudices regarding the ethnicity, colors, and cultures. The company has some laws and regulation on the diversity but management there not build acceptance, thus appropriate training needs to be provided to the well-diversified employees.

Watsco Inc. has the wide range of talents but there is no focus on the problem-solving skills as Michael faced issues in the multicultural group because the people in the department has the personal histories, people there have authority based on the educational backgrounds. There is a workplace diversity, which is based on the frustrations as Michael experienced issues in diverse environment, thus, it could be predicted that there is no effective building and maintaining of the culture of inclusion (Hogan, 2012).

Analysis of Contributing Factors

There are several issues that are contributing to the case of Michael; few of the factors are discussed below:

Ethnic and cultural differences

There were ethnic and cultural differences in the organization as there was no acceptance for the individual’s harbor and the management was proud or has the unfair prejudices, nobody tolerated Michael in the workplace and there no respect among worker in a prompt manner. However, a company needs to focus on the policies and appropriate training so that there could well-diversified acceptance for the different cultures.

Communication barriers

Michael also faced the communication issues based on the cultural diversity; as the company was hiring immigrants from the other background, Michael cannot speak English, therefore there was a communication barrier in the company and team members was not supportive to him. Thus, the Watsco, Inc. needs to focus on the communication training of the employees so that they can be encouraged and improve in the organizational environment.

Gender discrimination

Michael also faced the issues related to the gender discrimination that was also based on the cultural diversity common diversity issues because female of the department does not accept him as the subordinate. In the company he felt the issues of men vs. women, there was not focus on some of the traditional gender roles so there were disputes over these matters based on the equal pay and opportunities. Moreover, the employees need to perform equally so that there may not be trouble in dealing gender issues.

Generation gap

There was also the generation gap in the management of the company, because of the cultural diversity as a company had the diversified corporations; Michael faced the issues from the senior staff because the sold staff, did not involve Michael in the decision making process. There were the employees from the teenagers to senior citizens in the organization, thus, there were prominent generation gaps because there were issues with the multiple generations, so that company in this way, need to focus on the development and the establishment of the teamwork.

The Watsco, Inc. has the issues related to the conflicts because there were conflicts between the people in the organization. The management is concerned about prejudice, racism and the discrimination but no effective steps are taken in order to reduce the conflicts. There is lack of respect as Michael faced the issues in the company work environment and there was conflict among employees. Moreover, the company needs to focus on the aspects related to the diversity training in the diversified work environment (Zalis, 2017).

It is concluded that Watsco, Inc. is the company that encourages diversity but the company needs to have the better understanding of the diverse culture through making the organization environment more flexible. Moreover, it is suggested to the Watsco Inc. that the company need to review the management practices so that there could be better analysis of the situations and so that employees could be served in the better way. Consequently, Watsco Inc. needs to implement the laws and regulations based on the cultural diversity so that there could be and equal treatment and practices with the employees.

References;

• Byrd, M. Y., & Scott, C. L. (2014). Diversity in the Workforce: Current Issues and Emerging Trends. Routledge.
• Dahlberg, N., & Herald, M. (2017, March 1). Company Invests Millions in Using Tech to Transform HVAC Industry . Retrieved from https://www.govtech.com/fs/Company-Invests-Millions-in-Using-Tech-to-Transform-HVAC-Industry.html
• Gaudiano, P., & Hunt, E. (2016, July 11). The Complexity Of Diversity . Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gaudianohunt/2016/07/11/the-complexity-of-diversity/#cbac0686346e
• Hogan, M. (2012). The Four Skills of Cultural Diversity Competence. Cengage Learning.
• Powell, G. N. (2010). Managing a Diverse Workforce: Learning Activities. SAGE Publications.
• Zalis, S. (2017, November 30). The Truth About Diversity — And Why It Matters . Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleyzalis/2017/11/30/the-truth-about-diversity-and-why-it-matters/#750cae7f66e7

Related Posts

A case study on sustainable building, suspicious behaviors of malware in android, how epa links with the superfund in new..., nokia case study analysis, importance of public spaces in a neighbourhood of..., community based tourism in uganda and tanzania, mount st. helens hazardous simulations, the contradiction of homosexuality, walmart cross-cultural issues case study analysis, case study on leadership and management, leave a comment cancel reply.

Please enter an answer in digits:

• Open access
• Published: 26 April 2024

How can a behavioral economics lens contribute to implementation science?

• Nathan Hodson   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6022-2260 1 , 2 , 8 ,
• Byron J. Powell 3 , 4 , 5 ,
• Per Nilsen 6 , 7 &
• Rinad S. Beidas 8 , 9  

Implementation Science volume  19 , Article number:  33 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Implementation science in health is an interdisciplinary field with an emphasis on supporting behavior change required when clinicians and other actors implement evidence-based practices within organizational constraints. Behavioral economics has emerged in parallel and works towards developing realistic models of how humans behave and categorizes a wide range of features of choices that can influence behavior. We argue that implementation science can be enhanced by the incorporation of approaches from behavioral economics.

First, we provide a general overview of implementation science and ways in which implementation science has been limited to date. Second, we review principles of behavioral economics and describe how concepts from BE have been successfully applied to healthcare including nudges deployed in the electronic health record. For example, de-implementation of low-value prescribing has been supported by changing the default in the electronic health record. We then describe what a behavioral economics lens offers to existing implementation science theories, models and frameworks, including rich and realistic models of human behavior, additional research methods such as pre-mortems and behavioral design, and low-cost and scalable implementation strategies. We argue that insights from behavioral economics can guide the design of implementation strategies and the interpretation of implementation studies. Key objections to incorporating behavioral economics are addressed, including concerns about sustainment and at what level the strategies work.

Scholars should consider augmenting implementation science theories, models, and frameworks with relevant insights from behavioral economics. By drawing on these additional insights, implementation scientists have the potential to boost efforts to expand the provision and availability of high quality care.

Peer Review reports

Contributions to the literature

Implementation scientists regularly draw on insights from diverse fields of study but have not systematically incorporated findings from behavioral economics.

We illustrate how a behavioral economics lens can enhance traditional implementation strategies and inform interpretation of implementation studies, going further than classical behaviour change theories.

Insights from behavioral economics have the potential to “supercharge” or “boost” implementation science, thus we call for closer integration between the two literatures.

Introduction

Human behavior is the last mile challenge to many seemingly intractable problems in improving the human condition. Many scientific discoveries are unevenly accessed and delivered due to an underappreciation for how social and behavioral factors might interface with the implementation of these discoveries. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccines were developed and available within one year and yet too little consideration was paid to implementation and human behavior, resulting in uneven implementation and stark inequities [ 1 ]. Similarly, as it becomes clear that some prescribing practices are low-value, the de-implementation process requires changing clinician behavior [ 2 , 3 ]. As new screening modalities emerge that can prevent the onset of disease, it is essential that clinicians refer those patients most likely to benefit [ 4 ].

Implementation science has emerged as a convergence field, bringing together multiple disciplines to close the gap between what we know and what we do – or in other words, focused on behavior change of healthcare actors within organizational constraints, including clinicians, managers, funders, and health service users [ 5 ]. Implementation science has made great advances in coalescing as a field over the past two decades, drawing on a range of disciplines including organizational theory, human factors, improvement science, and adult learning theory [ 6 ]. Early work in implementation science characterized barriers and facilitators to implementation when initial efforts to change behavior within organizational constraints were often unsuccessful. The next generation of studies explored cross-sectional relationships between determinants hypothesized in leading conceptual frameworks. The most recent work in the field tests the comparative effectiveness of implementation strategies [ 7 ]. However, limitations of the current paradigm include an overreliance on education-focused implementation strategies such as training [ 8 ], approaches that are designed for the ideals of human behavior and do not take into account knowable and predictable patterns of human decision making, and the use of costly resource-intensive strategies that are difficult to scale.

The field of behavioral economics has developed in parallel and has also focused empirical inquiry on understanding human behaviors within various settings, including the healthcare environment. Behavioral economics offers a paradigm shift in how social scientists, including psychologists and economists, understand human behavior and decision-making [ 9 ]. Through 50 years of research, novel findings in psychology and economics have allowed behavioral economists to identify and categorize factors that drive human behavior in surprising but replicable ways, disrupting existing scholarly consensus about how people make decisions and introducing a new set of frameworks for researchers and policymakers. Importantly, behavioral economics offers simple and low-cost approaches that build on evidence of how humans make decisions. Specific concepts from behavioral economics that have been applied to change health behavior include promoting vaccination [ 10 ], de-prescribing [ 11 ], and screening [ 12 ]. For example, informing members of the public that a personal COVID-19 vaccine was ready specifically for them was effective at increasing vaccination uptake [ 10 ]. Default settings in electronic health records have changed prescribing behavior [ 2 ]. And recent scholarship has highlighted the scope for improving cancer screening pathways by removing unnecessary friction and paperwork, sometimes described as ‘sludge’ [ 4 , 13 ].

While focused on similar outcomes, the two fields have not been explicitly woven together, thus offering an opportunity for synergizing and maximizing impact. Systemically incorporating the behavioral economics perspective into implementation science is an important opportunity to advance the field. We propose that approaches from behavioral economics can allow us to understand behaviors in a more complete and nuanced manner (See note Footnote 1 ). More specifically, we argue that insights from behavioral economics can guide the design of implementation strategies and the interpretation of implementation studies for the advancement of the field.

Behavioral economics explains behavior in a more realistic and practical way

Classical economic theories of human behavior assume humans maximize utility – in other words appraising all potential actions and selecting the one perceived to be the most beneficial – but evidence from behavioral economics has increasingly revealed that humans do not maximize utility when making decisions [ 9 , 14 ]. That is to say, given human decision-making processes, all people working in healthcare are “boundedly rational” in predictable ways [ 15 ]. Dual Process Theory is one important way of understanding this phenomenon, holding that people make decisions using two systems. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and automatic, and prioritizes efficiency. It relies on heuristics, or mental shortcuts, and biases which are commonly repeated patterns of responses [ 9 , 16 ]. System 1 runs without us noticing but is prone to errors because its heuristics and biases are generally useful but not tailored to every situation. System 2 is slow, conscious, and effortful. It analyses problems logically to avoid pitfalls, but tires quickly [ 9 ].

The predictable thinking patterns or biases which result in bounded rationality are increasingly well-described and replicated. They impact almost every part of life, including many areas of healthcare. Present bias , for example, means that people prefer immediate pleasure compared with delayed pleasure; we tend to accept more pain later rather than a little immediate pain [ 17 ]. This might mean patients avoid vaccinations now despite risking hospitalization later. It could mean clinicians delay learning about a technology which will improve the efficiency of their practice because they anticipate that the initial process of learning will be tiring and stressful. Due to commission bias , people tend to choose to act rather than not act [ 18 ]. This could lead to doctors recommending cancer screening for patients at low risk of cancer because it feels like they are taking action whereas creating cancer scares, unnecessary biopsies, and private pain or loss of function is harmful and low-value care. Under the availability heuristic people consider outcomes more likely if they can readily bring them to mind; for example, people can easily imagine an airplane crash but less readily imagine chronic lung disease, and so they exaggerate their likelihood of dying in the former and underrate the risk of the latter [ 19 ]. This misperception might lead to reduced engagement with preventive efforts like smoking cessation support [ 20 ]. The same effect might make doctors excessively risk-averse by endowing rare adverse outcomes with an outsized impact on decision-making.

The extent to which heuristics and biases impact behaviors is mediated by the environment. Behavioral economists use the term choice architecture for the whole range of features of the environment that shape behaviors [ 21 ] including default options, positive or negative framing, reminders, social factors (who is watching and what others are doing), cognitive factors (other concurrent decisions and ease of access to data), and uncertainty (regarding information or regarding outcomes) [ 14 , 22 , 23 ]. While a decision maker who is maximizing utility would optimally pursue their preferences irrespective of the choice architecture, human behavior is frequently influenced in predictable ways when choice architecture interacts with heuristics and biases.

This rich understanding of how humans think, feel, behave, and make decisions can allow choice architects to help people make better decisions. One way of doing this is through “nudging” or altering the choice architecture to help people make better decisions (although the implications of behavioral economics go much further) [ 21 , 24 , 25 ]. Autoenrollment into pension savings is one example of a nudge [ 26 ]. Over the last decade the number of people in the UK saving for retirement has increased significantly because, rather than being asked to opt-in to pensions, they were assumed to want to save, automatically signed into the program, and given the chance to opt-out [ 27 ]. This changed outcomes because people making decisions with system 1 tend to stick with the default: at first the default was non-enrollment, now the default is enrollment. In some jurisdictions organ donation has undergone a similar change. [ 28 ]. Choice architecture exists whether we intentionally design it or not. For example, if non-enrollment in organ donation is the default, it is still a default. It is incumbent on people designing choice architectures to consider whether predictable patterns of human behavior due to heuristics and biases will interact with features of the choice architecture in ways that help or hurt people.

Another way of leveraging insights from behavioral economics to help people make better decisions is to remove features of choices which are cognitively or emotionally draining, sometimes called “sludge” [ 24 ]. The term “cognitive misers” is sometimes used to describe how humans have a universal tendency to make decisions that conserve cognitive and emotional energy, and thus sludge can stop people making choices they would otherwise want to make [ 29 , 30 ]. Examples of sludge include when a second-hand car dealer makes a customer sign a disclaimer before allowing them to decline an overpriced insurance add-on or when it is difficult to access naloxone in the event of opioid overdose. Since 2016, the state of California has made it legal for pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a prescription [ 31 ]. Desludging healthcare by making systems quick and straightforward to use can help clinicians, healthcare administrators, and patients make better decisions.

The findings of behavioral economics suggest that policy should draw on evidence of how humans actually behave. In his book Inside The Nudge Unit , David Halpern emphasized the importance of a more realistic model of behavior [ 32 ].

"A practical approach to government, or business, based on a realistic model of people would be messier than that of traditional economics or law. It would need to reflect the complexity of the human mind – what we do well, and what we don’t. It would imply thinking of cognitive capacities as wonderful, but precious resources. When we design services and products, we would need to be respectful of this reality, and remember that people have generally got better things to do than wade through bureaucracy or the puzzling ‘rationality’ of the state or big business. We would have to design everything we do around people, not expect people to have to redesign their lives around us.”  [ 32 ]

Halpern put this approach into practice at the Behavioural Insights Team in the UK Civil Service, but this description also indicates how implementation science could be informed by behavioral economics. Applying a behavioral economics lens entails drawing on empirical evidence to ensure implementation science is informed by an awareness of what the human mind does well, where it struggles and tires, and how people respond to different choice architectures. It means considering how humans really behave within the context of implementation, not how we hope they will behave.

General insights from behavioral economics on decision-making have been largely overlooked in implementation science

Implementation scientists have largely overlooked the impact of bounded rationality on decision-making [ 8 , 33 ]. Clinicians are expected to change behavior as new practices or policies are introduced within their organizational contexts and patients are expected to adhere to relevant advice or medication. In other words, the fundamental assumption is that knowledge is a major mechanism of behavior change. However scholarship demonstrates that knowledge may be necessary but is rarely sufficient for behavior change [ 8 ]. Therefore, most implementation endeavors stand to benefit from considering a behavioral economics lens, which could include defaults, cognitive bandwidth, motivated reasoning, or any of the other areas where research in behavioral economics is relevant for understanding the challenges of implementing new practices that require behavior change. For example, altering electronic prescribing systems such that the preferred prescribing option is selected automatically is using a default to increase evidence-based prescribing [ 34 ].

Several well-known implementation science models draw on social-cognitive theory, such as Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), Capability Opportunity Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) and Clinical Performance Feedback Intervention Theory (CP-FIT). These theories incorporate rich conceptions of human behavior and decision-making, but do not explicitly move beyond the assumption that we are mindful and deliberate in all our actions [ 35 , 36 ]. The full depth of relevant findings about human behavior, particularly how heuristics and biases influence behavior in surprising but replicable ways, has not yet been systematically integrated with implementation science. This gap presents an opportunity to design strategies that account for how humans actually behave rather than how we hope they will behave, and to enrich our understanding of the challenges of changing behavior and influencing decision-making as new practices are implemented [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Emerging work in this space has not yet been fully embedded within the general implementation science approach but represents a promising direction for forward movement [ 38 , 39 ]. Table 1 outlines how the behavioral economics lens can inform implementation science.

The behavioral economics lens can guide the design of implementation strategies

To move towards integrating behavioral economics approaches in implementation science, we must evaluate the role bounded rationality and behavioral factors play in implementation to optimally design implementation strategies. By capitalizing on evidence of the impact of heuristics and biases and the potential impact of choice architecture, the behavioral economics lens can help with better design of implementation strategies to change behavior at multiple levels, including the individual, team, profession, and organization. Over recent years implementation scientists have adopted systematic approaches to selecting implementation strategies, drawing on logic models and taxonomies of implementation strategies, along with implementation mapping [ 40 ]. These approaches have strengthened the field by targeting specific contextual barriers identified by constituents. Behavioral design takes this a step further by incorporating the biases and heuristics which can influence behavior but may remain outside of constituents’ conscious awareness [ 41 ]. Two behavioral economic typologies, EAST and MINDSPACE offer guides for researchers considering incorporating heuristics and biases into implementation strategy design [ 14 , 42 ].

EAST incorporates four domains where behavioral insights apply: easiness, attractiveness, social factors, and timing. Considering these domains can guide scholars designing implementation approaches to consider whether their approach capitalizes on recognized ways of changing human behavior. These four elements can be used in different ways, for example, men’s health interventions like Movember have drawn on social factors by prompting conversations about men’s health, whereas the Do It For Babydog vaccination campaign in West Virginia gave children chance to win a party for their whole school, creating a different kind of social impetus [ 43 , 44 ]. Conversely, considering the four EAST domains at the design stage can bring to attention overlooked features. This can be seen when implementation strategies include incentives: deferred incentives are less powerful than immediate incentives, so consideration of the timing domain could help an implementation designer consider ways of offering a reward alongside the behavior rather than waiting until later.

Whereas EAST provides factors to consider, MINDSPACE gives a specific list of strategies. This more extensive typology lists simple nudges, such as incentives, norms, and defaults, that implementation scientists may consider when looking for ways to boost behavior change. In applying a behavioral economics lens, the implementation scientist might review the MINDSPACE framework to find an appropriate technique. The implementation designer may decide that it would be appropriate to include “Commitments” by inviting participants to make a public promise to change practice. Alternatively, the pre-mortem approach can be used to leverage the power of prospective hindsight, where team members imagine an implementation effort has already failed and discuss all the causes of the failure, to make potential mitigation targets more salient[ 45 , 46 ]. In each case, EAST helpfully draws attention to domains where the behavioral economics lens might apply and the MINDSPACE framework offers specific strategies which could be incorporated.

One study that illustrates how to apply these concepts to the design of implementation strategies was conducted by Patel and colleagues [ 2 ]. A change in the choice architecture where the default became generic medications vs. the previous default (i.e. name-brand medications) resulted in a 5 percentage-point greater increase in default prescriptions. Large changes were noted in prescriptions where there was little clinical difference between preparations but smaller changes in prescriptions such as thyroxine and, to a lesser extent, anti-epileptics, demonstrating that prescribers overrode defaults and maintained agency where there was a clinical indication [ 47 ]. In this case, Patel et al . focused on easiness from the EAST framework, and used the default approach from the MINDSPACE repertoire.

The behavioral economics lens can inform the interpretation of implementation trials

Post-implementation evaluation can also be informed by the behavioral economics lens. Making sense of the outcomes of studies of different implementation strategies is not straightforward, particularly when unexpected results arise [ 48 ]. Evaluation studies often incorporate mixed qualitative and quantitative methodologies which benefit from a theoretical framework, and the behavioral economics lens provides one such framework. Post-trial evaluations perform the crucial function of appraising the replicability of findings and may note extraneous factors which influenced the study, such as changes to the organizational or national context. Similarly, surprising findings may be explained by behavioral factors. For example, an otherwise effective implementation may be undermined by a default policy or norm; identifying such behavioral factors allows implementation scientists to offer more insightful advice for future studies.

Purtle et al . ’s recent dissemination study illustrates this approach [ 49 ]. The authors explored whether state legislators were more likely to open emails which contained local economic data about the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Purtle et al . found in secondary analysis that Democratic legislators were more likely to open emails labelled as containing useful economic data about ACEs, whereas Republican legislators were no more likely to open those emails than emails offering no economic data. The authors briefly discussed motivated reasoning, a concept incorporated into behavioral economics from the social cognition literature, describing how a desire to hold certain beliefs influences the way people seek out and evaluate sources of information [ 49 , 50 ] (see note Footnote 2 ). Information avoidance, a concept closely related to motivated reasoning, helps make sense of their surprising findings: people tend to avoid finding out facts that threaten their existing pre-existing beliefs [ 51 ]. If Republicans are in general wary of government intervention in family life, they may avoid information which implies government should act around ACEs. Purtle et al . ’s use of the behavioral economics lens is innovative and provides a model for others trying to make sense of unexpected findings.

Another recent study by Glidewell et al . evaluated the success of several strategies for changing practice in UK primary care. Their interpretation of the results was implicitly in keeping with common findings from behavioral economics [ 52 ]. The authors found strong evidence of information avoidance in their less successful implementations; where searches of patient lists were expected to create an unmanageable amount of work, administrative staff admitted not conducting the searches. Glidewell et al . appear to have drawn on insights from behavioral economics in their design and interpretation of this paper illustrating the usefulness of the behavioral economics lens. However, they did not cite the behavioral economics literature or use terminology from behavioral economics. While these omissions are reasonable when communicating only with other implementation scientists, they offer a missed opportunity to use shared keywords that would allow behavioral economists to benefit from frontline applications of these theories. Behavioral economics brings together ideas such as social comparison and information avoidance from other disciplines such as social psychology; using the same terminology can also enrich implementation science and provide useful explanations for better understanding findings that benefit from a behavioral lens.

Objections to behavioral economics

While behavioral economics offers new insights to boost implementation science, it is important to highlight potential limitations to this approach.

While some implementation efforts such as those around prescribing change are located close to the individual choices of clinicians and are highly amenable to a wide range of behavioral interventions, many implementation efforts relate to team or organizational behavior. Behavioral economics is also relevant within the multilevel nature of implementation science, as many of the core ideas in behavioral economics relate to the way groups and teams work and how colleagues relate to each other. Common approaches to categorizing behavioral biases highlight the importance of attempts to change behavior by making desired actions social and taking into consideration how group norms can be presented [ 14 ]. Behavioral economists have also explored how bounded rationality alters group decision-making, team coordination and colleague effort levels. Across teamworking tasks, coordination tasks, and competitive tasks, behavioral economists have found surprising results which could not be explained by traditional economic models [ 53 ]. For example, when colleagues were randomly paired for an effort task they tended to perform equally, specifically because the lower performing participant worked harder to match the higher performer. However, more work is needed to apply these concepts to the team and organizational levels.

Similarly, the importance of sustainment is increasingly recognized by implementation science [ 54 ]. Interventions from behavioral economics vary by duration of behavior change. For example, removing sludge or setting default options can influence behaviors repeatedly [ 14 ]. Other behavioral insights such as social comparison nudges may only influence behavior while the intervention is actively being managed, just as an implementation strategy with a didactic education component is difficult to sustain as new staff arrive unless sustainment has been actively managed. Implementation scientists drawing on the behavioral economics lens should consider which elements match the duration of behavior change sought.

Finally, some behavioral economists have recently warned that prioritizing nudging over all other interventions could distract policymakers’ attention from the underlying drivers of adverse policy outcomes such as structural inequities [ 55 ]. Scholars have noted the importance of using integrated strategies which combine nudges with political and social approaches to improve outcomes broadly and equitably [ 56 ]. In public health contexts such an approach could entail combining individual behavior change strategies with advocacy for investment in equitable access. It is important that implementation scientists remain alert to outer context factors when drawing on the behavioral economics lens and we anticipate that the field is well positioned to avoid this potential limitation of behavioral economics [ 57 ].

Implementation science has rapidly attained influence and respect because of its positioning as a convergence field bringing together transdisciplinary approaches to closing the gap between what we know and what we do. Notably, the behavioral economics lens has featured little within the development of the field. We have argued that implementation science can now be enhanced by the incorporation of approaches from behavioral economics, particularly by considering heuristics and behavioral biases that shape decision-making and behavior and by leveraging these known, predictable patterns to design choice architecture within the context of implementation strategy design.

This opportunity to integrate a behavioral economics lens into implementation science merits continued attention and consideration. If otherwise well-designed implementation strategies are undermined by behavioral economic phenomena there is a risk that the field of implementation science will have reduced impact. Just as the AACTT framework (action, actor, context, target, and time) has helped implementation scientists report intended behavior change mechanisms with greater clarity we suggest that explicit description of the changes to choice architecture and their anticipated effect on behavior would help other implementation scientists to evaluate and replicate implementation approaches [ 58 ]. To make this easier for other implementation scientists, scholars may consider augmenting implementation science frameworks and taxonomies with relevant behavioral insights. With these additional frameworks, implementation scientists have the potential to supercharge efforts to expand the provision and availability of evidence-based practices. [ 59 ]

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Implementation science often focuses on clinician behavior change but we recognize implementation science is increasingly salient to how behavior change among a broad range of individuals and groups, including healthcare leaders, policymakers, and even patients, influences the extent to which evidence-based practices and policies are put into practice. For simplicity, we will generally refer to clinician behavior change in this article, but the principles and recommendations can be relevant to other actors’ behaviors [ 59 ].

It is important to note that Social Cognition is a blend of social and cognitive psychology and is different from Social-Cognitive approaches discussed above.

Paltiel AD, et al. Clinical Outcomes Of A COVID-19 Vaccine: Implementation Over Efficacy. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021;40(1):42–52.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Patel MS, et al. Using default options within the electronic health record to increase the prescribing of generic-equivalent medications: a quasi-experimental study. Ann Intern Med. 2014;161(10 Suppl):S44–52.

Kelley MA, et al. Association of Fatal Overdose Notification Letters With Prescription of Benzodiazepines: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2022;182(10):1099–100.

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Rockwell MS, et al. A “sludge audit” for health system colorectal cancer screening services. Am J Manag Care. 2023;29(7):e222–8.

Bauer MS, et al. An introduction to implementation science for the non-specialist. BMC Psychol. 2015;3(1):32.

Beidas RS, et al. Promises and pitfalls in implementation science from the perspective of US-based researchers: learning from a pre-mortem. Implement Sci. 2022;17(1):55.

Williams NJ, Beidas RS. Annual Research Review: The state of implementation science in child psychology and psychiatry: a review and suggestions to advance the field. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2019;60(4):430–50.

Beidas RS, Buttenheim AM, Mandell DS. Transforming Mental Health Care Delivery Through Implementation Science and Behavioral Economics. JAMA Psychiat. 2021;78(9):941–2.

Article   Google Scholar  

Kahneman D, Thinking F, Slow. New York. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2013.

Google Scholar  

Milkman KL, et al. A 680,000-person megastudy of nudges to encourage vaccination in pharmacies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2022;119(6):e2115126119.

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Doctor JN, et al. Opioid prescribing decreases after learning of a patient’s fatal overdose. Science. 2018;361(6402):588–90.

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Lucas T, et al. Message Framing for Men? Gender Moderated Effects of Culturally Targeted Message Framing on Colorectal Cancer Screening Receptivity among African Americans. Psychol Men Masc. 2023;24(2):103–12.

Hodson N. De-sludging healthcare systems. BMJ. 2023;383: p2916.

Dolan P, Hallsworth M, Halpern D, King D, Vlaev I, editors. MINDSPACE Influencing behaviour through public policy, C.O.a.T.I.f. Government. London, UK; 2010.

Simon HA, Models of man, social and rational: Mathematical essays on rational human behavior. New York City. NY: Wiley; 1957.

Wilke A, Mata R. Cognitive Bias in Encyclopedia of Human Behavior (Second Edition). V.S. Ramachandran, editor.  Academic Press: Cambridge; 2012:531–535.

Cheung SL Tymula A, W.X. Quasi-Hyperbolic Present Bias: A Meta-Analysis, in IZA institute of labour economics discussion papers. Bonn: 2021.

Song F, Shou Y, Olney J, et al. Moral judgments under uncertainty: risk, ambiguity and commission bias. Curr Psychol. 2024;43(11):9793–804.

Folkes VS. The Availability Heuristic and Perceived Risk. Journal of Consumer Research. 1988;15(1):13–23.

Masiero M, Lucchiari C, Pravettoni G. Personal fable: optimistic bias in cigarette smokers. Int J High Risk Behav Addict. 2015;4(1): e20939.

Thaler RH, Sunstein CR, Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New Haven. CT: Yale University Press; 2008.

Mullainathan S, Shafir E, Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much. New York. NY: Times Books; 2013.

Kahneman D, Tversky A. Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk. Econometrica. 1979;47(2):263–92.

Thaler RH. Nudge, Not Sludge. Science. 2018;361(6401):431.

Hodson N. Cancer screening and accessibility bias: People want screening when informed it saves no lives. Behavioural Public Policy. 2023;7(1):157–69.

Thaler RH, Benartzi S. Save More TomorrowTM: Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Employee Saving. Journal of Political Economy. 2004;112(S1):S164–87.

Bielawska K, Turner JA. Trust and the behavioral economics of automatic enrollment in pensions: a comparison of the UK and Poland. Journal of Economic Policy Reform. 2003;26(2):216–37.

Johnson EJ, Goldstein D. Do Defaults Save Lives? Science. 2003;302(5649):1338–9.

Sunstein C. Sludge Audits. Behavioural Public Policy. 2022;6(4):654–73.

Stanovich KE. Why humans are cognitive misers and what it means for the Great Rationality Debate. In: Viale R, editor. Routledge Handbook of Bounded Rationality. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2020.

Puzantian T, Gasper JJ. Provision of Naloxone Without a Prescription by California Pharmacists 2 Years After Legislation Implementation. JAMA. 2018;320(18):1933–4.

Halpern D, Inside the nudge unit. How small changes can make a big difference. London. UK: Penguin Random House UK; 2015.

Birken SA, et al. Organizational theory for dissemination and implementation research. Implement Sci. 2017;12(1):62.

Delgado MK, et al. Association between Electronic Medical Record Implementation of Default Opioid Prescription Quantities and Prescribing Behavior in Two Emergency Departments. J Gen Intern Med. 2018;33(4):409–11.

Michie S, van Stralen MM, West R. The behaviour change wheel: a new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implement Sci. 2011;6:42.

Brown B, et al. Clinical Performance Feedback Intervention Theory (CP-FIT): a new theory for designing, implementing, and evaluating feedback in health care based on a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative research. Implement Sci. 2019;14(1):40.

Atkins L, et al. A guide to using the Theoretical Domains Framework of behaviour change to investigate implementation problems. Implement Sci. 2017;12(1):77.

Yoong SL, et al. Nudge strategies to improve healthcare providers’ implementation of evidence-based guidelines, policies and practices: a systematic review of trials included within Cochrane systematic reviews. Implement Sci. 2020;15(1):50.

Quanbeck A, Hennessy RG, Park L. Applying concepts from “rapid” and “agile” implementation to advance implementation research. Implement Sci Commun. 2022;3(1):118.

Powell BJ, et al. Methods to Improve the Selection and Tailoring of Implementation Strategies. J Behav Health Serv Res. 2017;44(2):177–94.

Stewart RE, et al. Applying NUDGE to Inform Design of EBP Implementation Strategies in Community Mental Health Settings. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2021;48(1):131–42.

Service, O., Hallsworth, M., Halpern, D., Algate, F., Gallagher, R., Nguyen, S., Ruda, S., Sanders, M., EAST: Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights. 2014, The Behavioural Insights Team.

Adams SA. Third ‘Do It for Babydog’ COVID-19 Vaccination Lottery Aimed at Children. In: The Intelligencer. Wheeling; 2021.

Walker ET, et al. Patient-activist or ally? Assessing the effectiveness of conscience and beneficiary constituents in disease advocacy fundraising. Sociol Health Illn. 2023;45(8):1652–72.

Kahneman D, Klein G. Strategic decisions: when can you trust your gut? McKinsey Quarterly. 2010.

Klein G. Performing a project postmortem. Harvard Business Review. 2007.

Patel MS, et al. Generic Medication Prescription Rates After Health System-Wide Redesign of Default Options Within the Electronic Health Record. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(6):847–8.

Wolfenden L, et al. Designing and undertaking randomised implementation trials: guide for researchers. BMJ. 2021;372: m3721.

Purtle J, et al. Partisan differences in the effects of economic evidence and local data on legislator engagement with dissemination materials about behavioral health: a dissemination trial. Implement Sci. 2022;17(1):38.

Kunda Z. The case for motivated reasoning. Psychol Bull. 1990;108(3):480–98.

Golman R, Hagmann D, Loewenstein G. Information Avoidance. Journal of Economic Literature. 2017;55(1):96–135.

Glidewell L, et al. Explaining variable effects of an adaptable implementation package to promote evidence-based practice in primary care: a longitudinal process evaluation. Implement Sci. 2022;17(1):9.

Camerer CF, Malmendier U. Behavioral economics of organizations, in Behavioral economics and its applications. P Diamond, Vartiainen H, Editor. Princeton University Press: Princeton; 2007:235–290.

Nathan N, et al. Do the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) strategies adequately address sustainment? Front Health Serv. 2022;2: 905909.

Chater N, Loewenstein G. The i-frame and the s-frame: How focusing on individual-level solutions has led behavioral public policy astray. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2023;e147–p1-84.

Hallsworth M. A manifesto for applying behavioural science. Nat Hum Behav. 2023;7:310–22.

Aarons GA, Hurlburt M, Horwitz SM. Advancing a conceptual model of evidence-based practice implementation in public service sectors. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2011;38(1):4–23.

Presseau J, et al. Action, actor, context, target, time (AACTT): a framework for specifying behaviour. Implement Sci. 2019;14(1):102.

Presseau J, et al. Enhancing the translation of health behaviour change research into practice: a selective conceptual review of the synergy between implementation science and health psychology. Health Psychol Rev. 2022;16(1):22–49.

Pfadenhauer LM, et al. Making sense of complexity in context and implementation: the Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions (CICI) framework. Implement Sci. 2017;12(1):21.

Squires JE, et al. Stakeholder Perspectives of Attributes and Features of Context Relevant to Knowledge Translation in Health Settings: A Multi-Country Analysis. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2021;11(8):1373–90.

PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Nilsen P, Bernhardsson S. Context matters in implementation science: a scoping review of determinant frameworks that describe contextual determinants for implementation outcomes. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19(1):189.

Waltz TJ, et al. Choosing implementation strategies to address contextual barriers: diversity in recommendations and future directions. Implement Sci. 2019;14(1):42.

Download references

Acknowledgements

Rinad Beidas is grateful to her colleagues at the Penn Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics for their partnership in bringing behavioral economics to implementation science. She also specifically thanks Justin Bekelman, MD, Alison Buttenheim, PhD, David Mandell, ScD, Robert Schnoll, PhD, and Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, for their partnership in co-leading two centers at the intersection of behavioral economics and implementation science which has contributed to her thinking in this sphere.

No funder had a role in the production of this manuscript but RB acknowledges P50CA244690 (Schnoll, Bekelman, Beidas). BJP was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health through R25MH080916, U24HL154426, R01CA262325, P50DA054072, P50CA19006, and P50CA244690. NH was partially supported by a National Institute for Health Research Academic Clinical Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

Nathan Hodson

Warwick Medical School, Unit of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

Brown School, Center for Mental Health Services Research, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA

Byron J. Powell

Center for Dissemination & Implementation, Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA

Division of Infectious Diseases, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA

Department of Health, Medicine, and Caring Sciences (HMV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden

Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University, Chicago, USA

Nathan Hodson & Rinad S. Beidas

Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Chicago, USA

Rinad S. Beidas

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

NH led the writing of the first draft and RB contributed to writing specific sections. BP, PN and RB edited the text. All authors reviewed and approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nathan Hodson .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Not required.

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

NH and PN have no competing interests to declare.

BJP serves on the Editorial Board for Implementation Science and is also a Guest Editor for a special collection of Implementation Science and Implementation Science Communications that is titled, “Advancing Science and Practice through the Study of Implementation Mechanisms.” All editorial decisions regarding this manuscript were made by other Editors and/or Associate Editors.

RSB is principal at Implementation Science & Practice, LLC. She is currently an appointed member of the National Advisory Mental Health Council and the NASEM study, “Blueprint for a national prevention infrastructure for behavioral health disorders,” and serves on the scientific advisory board for AIM Youth Mental Health Foundation and the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation. She has received consulting fees from United Behavioral Health and Optum-Labs. She previously served on the scientific and advisory board for Optum Behavioral Health and has received royalties from Oxford University Press. She serves as Associate Editor for Implementation Science and Implementation Science Communications. All editorial decisions regarding this manuscript were made by other Editors and/or Associate Editors.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Hodson, N., Powell, B.J., Nilsen, P. et al. How can a behavioral economics lens contribute to implementation science?. Implementation Sci 19 , 33 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-024-01362-y

Download citation

Received : 29 August 2023

Accepted : 13 April 2024

Published : 26 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-024-01362-y

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Behavior change
• Behavioral economics
• Interdisciplinary research
• Implementation strategies
• Implementation frameworks

Implementation Science

ISSN: 1748-5908

• Submission enquiries: Access here and click Contact Us
• General enquiries: [email protected]

• Open access
• Published: 22 April 2024

Patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion among Chinese nurses: the combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience

• Wei Yan 1 ,
• Xiu Chen 1 ,
• Di Xiao 2 ,
• Huan Wang 3 , 4 ,
• Chunjuan Xu 7 &
• Caiping Song 8  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  260 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

80 Accesses

Metrics details

As a primary form of work-related violence in the healthcare sector, patient mistreatment negatively impacts nurses’ well-being. To date, there has yet reached a definitive conclusion on the mediating mechanism and boundary conditions behind the influence of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional exhaustion.

This study employed a convenience sampling method to recruit a sample of 1672 nurses from public hospitals in Western China. The data were collected through anonymous self-report questionnaires and analyzed using hierarchical regression and conditional processes to investigate a theoretical framework encompassing patient mistreatment, emotional exhaustion, social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and trait resilience.

Patient mistreatment led to emotional exhaustion among nurses (β = 0.625, p  <.001), and social sharing of negative events mediated this positive relationship (effect = 0.073, SE = 0.013). The combined effects of organizational support and resilience moderated the mediating effect of the social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion (β=-0.051, p  <.05). Specifically, nurses with a high level of resilience would benefit from organizational support to alleviate emotional exhaustion caused by patient mistreatment.

Conclusions

This study validated a significant positive association between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion, which aligns with previous research findings. Integrating conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, we addressed previous contradictory findings on the impact of social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion. Social sharing of negative events served as a mediator between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depended on individual trait of resilience.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Workplace violence is a worldwide concern and a major risk in healthcare work. It was defined as incidents in which staff members are mistreated, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances related to their work [ 1 ]. Over the last decades, it has been well documented that healthcare professionals around the world are at significant risk of violence exposure [ 2 ]. Studies have shown that the most vulnerable healthcare workers victimized are nurses and paramedics [ 3 , 4 ], with the most common perpetrators being patients, their relatives, or visitors [ 5 ]. A recent survey of 4263 nurses in the healthcare sector showed that 54% of respondents had experienced verbal violence by patients [ 6 ], including negative emotional behaviors exhibited by patients or their families, such as anger, swearing, insults, yelling, and speaking rudely toward nurses [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. All these negative emotional behaviors are known as “patient mistreatment”. A considerable amount of research conducted in healthcare organizations has shown that exposure to patient mistreatment is a strong predictor of stress, emotional exhaustion, turnover intention and obstacles to career development among nurses [ 6 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Specifically, emotional exhaustion, characterized by intense fatigue, lack of interest, low mood, and less enthusiasm for jobs, is not only a key outcome resulting from patient mistreatment but also serves as a significant predictor of nurse turnover and a decline in nursing job performance. The conservation of resources (COR) theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding emotional exhaustion caused by patient mistreatment. The COR theory indicates that people strive to retain, protect, and build resources which are needed in fulfilling job responsibilities and are threatened by the potential or actual loss of those valued resources [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Despite increasing research interest, the existing literature has yet reached a definitive conclusion on the mechanism how patient mistreatment impacts nurses’ emotional exhaustion. Therefore, this study developed and examined a theoretical model regarding the influence of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional exhaustion and explored the mechanisms and boundary conditions behind this relationship.

Social sharing of negative events refers to talking to others about negative events and one’s emotional reactions to them and can occur hours to months after the event [ 17 , 18 ]. It is often seen as a response to emotional experiences to release negative emotions, alleviate work-related stress, and restore resources. However, there is no consensus on the impact of this behavior on emotional exhaustion [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Social sharing of negative events sometimes fails to bring new insights into emotional experiences, and disrupts nurses’ goal-related cognitive processes. Goal progress theory illustrates that goal failure (e.g. receiving customer mistreatment) [ 22 ] is associated with cognitive rumination [ 23 ], which may lead to the further loss of resources. Therefore, we examined the social sharing of negative events as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion in this study.

Furthermore, studies of organizational support have shown that it provides a supportive environment for individuals in coping with stress caused by customer mistreatment [ 24 ]. The COR theory also explicates that supportive environments and contexts create fertile ground for creation of individual resources [ 15 ]. However, some evidence has revealed that organizational support is not consistently beneficial, yielding inconclusive findings [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Besides, it is crucial to understand why some people are able to handle negative experiences at work more functionally than others. Consistent with COR theory, individual resources may be contained or embodied in traits and capabilities [ 14 ]. Resilience is a personal trait that can help individuals better cope with adversity and stress [ 28 ]. Therefore, this study introduces organizational support as a crucial moderating variable to explore its moderating effect on the mediating pathway of the social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion and examines whether trait resilience serves as a boundary condition to the effectiveness of organizational support.

In summary, drawing upon the conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, this study attempts to answer the following questions: Is patient mistreatment related to emotional exhaustion through the social sharing of negative events? Is organizational support always beneficial or not? And who will benefit from it?

Patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion

Among all occupational groups, healthcare workers are ranked as one of the most likely to experience workplace aggression [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. Patient mistreatment refers to negative emotional behaviors such as expressed anger, swearing, insulting, yelling, and speaking rudely directed toward healthcare providers by patients or their families [ 9 , 33 , 34 ]. Existing studies have extensively explored the adverse consequences of patient mistreatment on healthcare staff and found that it can negatively impact their psychological and physical well-being, leading to increased anxiety, burnout, and negative emotions [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. The psychological harm caused by patient mistreatment can also result in stress, which is defined as a reaction to an environment in which there is a threat or net loss of resources [ 34 ].

The conservation of resources (COR) theory constructs a framework for comprehending the origins and coping strategies of stress and is frequently used to interpret the process of emotional exhaustion. Individual resources are defined as any element that is valuable for an individual’s survival and development. Individuals strive to retain, protect, and build the resources they value [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and suffer salient impacts when they lose resources. Moreover, the availability of resources determines the impact of workplace stressors (such as unfair treatment) on employees [ 38 , 39 ]. Healthcare professionals may experience emotional exhaustion, which refers to energy depletion or the draining of emotional resources [ 38 ], as a consequence of mistreatment by patients [ 35 ]. Therefore, we propose the following hypothesis:

Patient mistreatment is positively related to emotional exhaustion.

The mediating role of social sharing of negative events

Researchers have identified social sharing of negative events as talking to others about a negative event and one’s emotional reactions to it and can occur hours to months after the event [ 17 , 18 , 40 ]. Individuals voluntarily share their negative emotional experiences and feelings with others in social settings to release negative emotions, alleviate work-related stress, and restore psychological resources. Despite research on this topic, there is no consensus on the impact of social sharing on negative emotions. Delroisse et al. suggested that it can reduce job burnout by helping employees make sense of work situations and reinforcing relationships with others [ 19 ]. By contrast, Nolen-Hoeksema posited that sharing could potentially be detrimental if it involves ruminating on or immersing oneself in negative feelings, potentially exacerbating or prolonging feelings of sadness [ 20 ]. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory, we aimed to clarify the effect of social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion.

COR theory stated that individuals should proactively invest resources to protect themselves against potentially stressful situations, recover from losses, and accumulate additional resources to brace themselves for future challenges [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Social sharing of negative events has been conceptualized as a social and interpersonal process of repetitively seeking proactive social opportunities to verbalize experiences of stressful events [ 40 , 41 ]. Strongman et al. argued that social sharing of emotions activates the interconnectedness between individuals and their respective social networks or support systems [ 42 ]. Supportive actions by recipients, such as listening, understanding, and consolation, help sharers replenish depleted resources and foster their ability to cope with stressors in the sharing process [ 43 ], ultimately equipping them with the necessary resources to address adverse situations. For example, Zech highlighted that social sharing of negative events can provide informational support (e.g. advice) and facilitate reevaluation for individuals [ 17 ]. Laurens’s study revealed that nurses are inclined to engage in emotional social sharing with professionals, such as colleagues or counselors, when confronted with emotional issues involving their patients [ 44 ]. Therefore, drawing upon conservation resources theory, we anticipated that nurses who experience resource depletion due to patient mistreatment may seek to obtain the necessary resources through social sharing of negative events to manage stressful events.

Social sharing of negative events can facilitate cognitive-affective processing of shared events [ 45 ]. However, it carries “sharing risks” [ 46 ], particularly when negative emotions are involved. When it comes to repeated negative events, deliberate thoughts oriented towards the implications of a given event may alternate with unwanted, intrusive thoughts [ 40 ]. Martin and Tesser defined a class of conscious thoughts that revolve around a common instrumental theme as cognitive rumination [ 23 ], which is associated with goal progress theory [ 22 ] to illustrate the impact of goal failure (e.g., receiving customer mistreatment) [ 47 ]. Patient mistreatment serves as a pivotal emotional event and an original disruption. It fails to bring new insights into emotional experiences, disrupts nurses’ goal-related cognitive processes, and triggers rumination [ 40 , 47 ] when nurses share negative events with others [ 20 ]. The more nurses ruminate, the longer they experience intrusive thoughts linked to unachieved goals [ 22 ]. Moreover, loss of resources or the threat of such loss is a crucial factor in predicting psychological distress and leading to investing more resources, making those already lacking resources even more vulnerable to loss spirals [ 14 ]. Emotional exhaustion occurs when individuals are confronted with dual stressors of resource depletion and goal failure. Consequently, we propose the following hypothesis:

Social sharing of negative events mediates the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion.

The moderating role of organizational support

Hobfoll et al. further clarified those resources, which are central to survival and goal attainment, operate depending on the ecological context [ 48 , 49 ].They further theorized that resources do not exist individually but travel in packs, or caravans for both individuals and organizations [ 15 , 50 ]. Organizational support, which is the overall belief that the organization values contributions and cares about the well-being of its employees [ 51 ], is a vital aspect of work resources. Crossover acts as one of the mechanisms of resource exchange within resource caravans [ 15 ] and states that organizational support can be effectively transferred from organizational context to individuals. Studies have suggested that the crossover of resources is also very important for gaining spirals because it can increase a partner’s engagement, potentially triggering a chain of crossover of engagement processes [ 52 ]. Moreover, global research has also identified organizational support as a new buffer-type resource that can counter the resource-depleting effect of high workload and high emotional demands in a large sample of Dutch health professionals [ 53 ]. Therefore, these important work resources, including concern, recognition, and respect inherited in organizational support, would compensate for individuals’ resources, foster the accomplishment of personal work objectives [ 54 ], and enhance employees’ self-efficacy and sense of self-worth, consequently elevating their positive emotions [ 55 , 56 ]. Thus, we anticipated that organizational support would not only alleviate the adverse effects of mistreatment experienced by employees within the organization [ 57 , 58 , 59 ], but also effectively moderate the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion.

The combined effect of organizational support and trait relicense

Conventionally, studies have demonstrated that organizational support constitutes a valuable work resource. However, COR theory posited that the transfer of resources across social entities (individuals and organizations) is slower. Mounting evidence suggested that organizational support may, at times, not be helpful or even worsen situations [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. Perhaps the effects of crossover depend on certain traits of the individuals or groups. Evidence continued to mount regarding those with greater resources being less vulnerable to resource loss and more capable of gaining resources [ 15 , 63 ]. Luthans and Avolio [ 64 ] pointed out that both psychological capital and organizational support are necessary for employees to achieve high performance. Resilience, an individual’s ability to cope effectively with adversity and stress when facing difficulties and setbacks [ 65 , 66 ], can be a key personal resource for understanding how individuals break loss spirals [ 67 , 68 ]. Resilience enables individuals to adapt better to changing environments [ 69 , 70 ] and shapes their perception of stress [ 71 , 72 ].

This study found that trait resilience acts as a boundary condition for the moderating role of organizational support in the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, the interactive effects among various resources, such as psychological and organizational resources [ 73 ], do not simply add up, but rather enhance the assets necessary for individuals to accomplish their objectives. Consequently, it facilitates individuals with higher levels of resilience by employing both personal psychological resources and organizational resources to develop effective strategies to handle challenges like patient mistreatment [ 74 ]. In conclusion, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

The moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depends on trait resilience.

The interaction between organizational support and trait resilience moderates the indirect effect of patient mistreatment on emotional exhaustion via the social sharing of negative work events.

We summarize our theoretical model in Fig.  1 .

Hypothesized theoretical model

Participants and data collection procedures

Convenience sampling was employed in this study. We initiated a call for nursing mistreatment research based on the Hematology Specialty Alliance platform in Chongqing, a major city in Southwest China. Furthermore, we used one-on-one communication to invite the clinical department nurses to participate in the survey. The inclusion criteria for recruiting participants in our study were as follows: ① Certified nurses; ② Clinical nursing positions; ③ Informed consent and voluntary participation. The exclusion criteria were as follows: ① student nurses in rotation, ② student nurses on internships, ③ nursing residents in training programs, and ④ off-duty nurses (on leave, sick leave, or attending external training).

To minimize the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this study employed a structured online questionnaire to facilitate ease of participation. To ensure the credibility and fairness of the collected data, all responses were submitted anonymously. The questionnaires were completed anonymously to ensure the acquisition of objective and unbiased data. The initial page of the questionnaire presented a clear statement of the study’s objectives and confidentiality of the responses. All questions were designed to be mandatory, and each unique IP address was allowed a single submission to uphold the integrity of the data and avoid duplicate entries. In preparation for the main study, a preliminary survey was conducted to validate the logic of the questions and the accuracy of their responses. The formal survey was conducted from October 9th, 2022 to November 1st, 2022. (Questionnaire link: https://wj.qq.com/mine.html ), ultimately yielding 1627 valid responses.)

We employed the translation and back-translation processes recommended by Brislin [ 75 ] in both surveys prior to the administration. This was done to ensure the validity and appropriateness of all the scales in the Chinese context.

• Patient mistreatment

We used the 18-item scale developed by Wang et al. [ 21 ] to measure patient mistreatment, replacing the word “customers” with “patients” in each item. The scale divides patient mistreatment into two dimensions: aggressive mistreatment and demand-oriented mistreatment. Participants rated the items on a five-point Likert scale from 1 = never to 5 = frequently. Example items were “Patients demanded special treatment,” “Patients spoke aggressively to you,” and “Patients asked you to do things even if they can do them themselves.” The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was 0.953.

• Social sharing of negative events

Social sharing of negative events scale was adapted from Gable et al. [ 76 ]. In the past month, participants were asked how often they had talked to significant others, other family members, friends, and colleagues about unpleasant things that had happened at work, creating a four-item scale. Responses ranged from 1 = never to 5 = often. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.862.

• Emotional exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion was measured using the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which was developed by Maslach and Jackson [ 77 ] and is the most widely used tool for evaluating job burnout. Emotional exhaustion included nine items, with sample items such as, “I feel emotionally drained from my work.” Responses ranged from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. All the items scored positively, with higher scores indicating greater emotional exhaustion. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.925.

• Organizational support

In this study, we employed the Organizational Support Perception Scale originally developed and validated by Shen and Benson in 2016 [ 78 ] to assess the perceptions of organizational support. This scale consists of eight items (e.g. “My organization values my contributions to the organization”) and used a 7-point Likert scale. Among these items, four were positively worded and four were reverse-scored. Respondents indicated their agreement on a scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree, with higher scores indicating a stronger perception of organizational support. Cronbach’s alpha for the scale was 0.907.

We used the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) developed by Smith et al. [ 79 ], which consists of six items. Sample items included statements such as “I tend to bounce back quickly after difficulties.” Responses ranged from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Three items scored positively and three scored negatively. It is specifically used to measure an individual’s ability to recover their health or well-being in response to stress. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.826.

Control variables

Sex, age, education, marital status, years of work, and sports were included as control variables to control for confounding effects on emotional exhaustion.

Data analysis

SPSS23.0 and Mplus7 were used for the statistical analysis. We adopted confirmatory factor analysis to test validity and common method variance. Additionally, we conducted a descriptive statistical analysis of the variables and analyzed each variable using the Pearson’s correlation test to comprehend the characteristics and correlations between the variables. We performed hierarchical regression analysis and conditional process analysis to examine the mediating and moderating effects. Moderating variables were mean-centered to construct the interaction term, mitigating potential multi-collinearity problems. In this study, patient mistreatment served as a predictor variable, social sharing of negative events as a mediator variable, organizational support and resilience as two moderators, and emotional exhaustion as the outcome variable.

Participants

A total of 1627 valid responses were included after a strict review of the collected survey data. The majority of the participants were female (94.7%), while males accounted for only 5.3% of the sample, which is similar to the composition of nurses in other public hospitals in China. Most nurses (87.7%) were between 20 and 39 years old, with two under 20 years old, and 6.9% were over 40 years old. The participants’ years of work experience ranged from less than one year to 36 years, with an average of 9.26 years (SD = 6.40). The majority of nurses (62.6%) were married, and only 36.5% of the total participants reported exercise habits.

Common method variance

Data collected from a single source require querying for possible interference caused by common method variance (CMV). Harman’s single-factor method was used to detect the common method variance. The results of the exploratory factor analysis of the 45 items showed that there were seven factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and the variance explanation rate of the first factor was 31.579% (< 50%). Therefore, the results suggested that CMV is not a significant problem in this study [ 80 , 81 ].

Confirmatory factor analysis

We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the discriminant validity of the scale. As shown in Table  1 , the five-factor model, consisting of patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events, organizational support, resilience, and emotional exhaustion, demonstrated satisfactory discriminant validity and good fit (χ²/df = 11.276, RMSEA = 0.079, CFI = 0.819, TL = 0.809, SRMR = 0.057). Each variable had a factor loading greater than 0.600 and the internal consistency was good, indicating satisfactory reliability and validity of the scale.

Descriptive statistics

Table  2 presents the means, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients for the variables used in this study. The correlation coefficients were consistent with our expectations, showing that patient mistreatment was significantly positively correlated with emotional exhaustion ( r  =.361, p  <.01) and with the social sharing of negative events ( r  =.198, p  <.01). Additionally, the social sharing of negative events was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion ( r  =.253, p  <.01). Some of the hypotheses of this study were tentatively supported.

Hierarchical regression was used to test the relevant hypotheses and the results are presented in Table  3 . Model 4 indicated a positive correlation between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion (β = 0.625, p  <.001), which supported Hypothesis 1. The test for the mediating effect followed the recommended stepwise approach [ 82 ]. First, Model 2 revealed a significant positive correlation between patient mistreatment and the social sharing of negative events (β = 0.275, p  <.001). Second, Model 5 showed that social sharing of negative events was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion (β = 0.264, p  <.001). Finally, while the effect of patient mistreatment on the dependent variable, emotional exhaustion, remained significant (β = 0.552, p  <.001), it was somewhat weaker (0.552 < 0.625) after introducing the mediating variable, suggesting a partial mediating effect.

Following Preacher and Hayes [ 83 ], this study further tested the mediating effect of the social sharing of negative events on the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. We employed the bias-corrected method with a sample size of 5000 and a 95% confidence interval to perform multiple mediating effect analysis using Process3.2, a software for conditional process analysis. The test results are presented in Table  4 . The results showed that the indirect effect was 0.073, with a 95% confidence interval of [0.049, 0.100], demonstrating that the social sharing of negative events played a mediating role in the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Therefore, H2 was supported.

The combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience

Table  5 presents the results of moderation analysis. In Model 2, both organizational support and resilience were found to be significantly negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (βos=-0.348, p  <.001; βre = − 0.569, p  <.001). However, in Model 3, neither organizational support nor resilience showed any interaction with social sharing of negative events in predicting emotional exhaustion. Nevertheless, the three-way interaction between social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and resilience was significant in predicting emotional exhaustion and negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (β=-0.051, p  <.05), thus supporting H3. Figure  2 shows the results of the three-way interaction, in which it is evident that higher levels of organizational support and resilience weaken the positive impact of the social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion.

Simple slope test

We also conducted a moderated mediation model in Process 3.2, using 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval analyses with 5,000 bootstrap samples to examine the moderating effect of the interaction term of organizational support and resilience on the mediating role of social sharing of negative events between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. As shown in Table  6 , the index of moderated moderated mediation was − 0.0152, which was statistically significant, with a 95% bias-corrected confidence interval of [-0.0286, − 0.0031]. Therefore, H4 was supported.

Specifically, the 95% confidence interval for the indices of conditional moderated mediation was [-0.0120, 0.0240] for individuals with high resilience and [-0.0291, -0.0012] for those with low resilience. Therefore, H3 was supported, indicating that individual resilience served as a boundary condition for the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between the social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion.

This study combined conservation of resources theory with goal progress theory to investigate the mediating role of the social sharing of negative events in the association between patient mistreatment and nurses’ emotional exhaustion. We also explored whether the moderating effect of organizational support on the relationship between the social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion depended on individual resilience. First, this study confirmed a significant positive correlation between nurses’ experiences of patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion, which is consistent with previous studies [ 6 , 7 , 84 , 85 , 86 ]. The findings once again underscore the detrimental impact of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional and psychological well-being. Given that the rates of different forms and sources of aggression vary considerably between nations [ 3 , 87 ], it is crucial to direct our attention towards the patient mistreatment experiences of nurses in China, especially in the post-epidemic era.

Second, this study revealed that the social sharing behavior of negative events mediates the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Previous studies have produced mixed findings regarding the impact of the social sharing of negative events on emotional exhaustion among employees or nurses [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. However, limited research has examined the role of social sharing of negative emotions as a mediating mechanism between patient mistreatment and nurses’ emotional exhaustion. This study integrated the conservation of resources theory and goal progress theory to establish a theoretical foundation for the mediating model. It indicated that sharing negative work events was a strategy for nurses to cope with resource loss resulting from patient mistreatment. Meanwhile, rumination about negative events was closely associated with goal failure, thereby triggering emotional exhaustion among nurses.

Third, the interaction between resilience and organizational support served as a moderator in the relationship between the social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion. Studies have identified organizational support as a crucial resource for mitigating the negative effects of stressors [ 24 ]. However, our findings demonstrated that there was no significant two-way interaction between social sharing of negative events and organizational support in predicting emotional exhaustion. This finding is in line with some research on organizational support [ 25 , 28 ], which suggested that organizational support may fail to alleviate the adverse effects of work stressors. Furthermore, this study responded to the call for conservation resources theory [ 28 ] to explore whether trait resilience serves as a boundary to the effectiveness of organizational support. The significant three-way interaction between the social sharing of negative events, organizational support, and trait resilience revealed that individuals with high levels of resilience will benefit from organizational support. Specifically, individuals with high resilience and organizational support showed lower levels of emotional exhaustion than those with low resilience and high organizational support. The implication for managers, therefore, was that organizational support alone cannot solve all problems. Instead, individualized organizational support should be considered in the light of nurses’ resilience.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have significant practical implications for medical management. First, the findings of this study once again validated the significant influence of patient mistreatment on nurses’ emotional exhaustion. Consequently, it is imperative for healthcare administrators to prioritize the establishment of a secure working environment for nurses while providing comprehensive training programs that could enhance their ability to react more effectively to navigate complex nurse-patient relationships. Second, the study further showed that the social sharing of negative events predicted emotional exhaustion among nurses. Therefore, finding ways to eliminate negative rumination originating from patient mistreatment is essential for reducing emotional exhaustion among nurses. Mindfulness thinking, meditation or psychological detachment from work are potential means that nurses could adopt to take a different perspective on negative events. Although the current study indicates that organizational support may not always be beneficial, we suggest that management consider developing workplace interventions that facilitate supportive relationships between organizations and nurses. Third, it is noted that the effect of organizational support depended on resilience. Resilience-related training programs may help nurses acquire psychological resources, enabling them to effectively navigate through mistreatment and adverse experiences. For instance, professional provider resilience training (PPRT) conducted by the medical department of the US military provides knowledge and skills to assist in stress management [ 88 ], such as developing positive cognition, emotional regulation, and mind-body techniques, which enhances the psychological resilience of medical professionals and alleviates fatigue and burnout.

Limitations and further study

This study has some limitations worth addressing. First, the study design was cross-sectional, which may have limited its ability to capture unexamined longitudinal associations. Thus, experience-sampling method should be employed to study the fluctuations of the relationship examined in this study on daily or week basis. Second, all variables investigated were self-reported, which may raise concerns regarding common method variance (CMV) [ 89 ]. Therefore, future studies should employ objective measures or measures reported by others to reduce same-source bias. Third, we found that the social sharing of negative events only partially mediated the relationship between patient mistreatment and emotional exhaustion. Further investigations should be conducted to explore other pathways linking patient mistreatment with nurses’ emotional exhaustion, as well as the moderating variables influencing these mediating mechanisms.

This study, involving 1672 healthcare nurses from public hospitals in Western China, revealed a notable prevalence of patient mistreatment, which led to emotional exhaustion among all participants. The findings of this study suggest that the sharing of negative events plays a mediating role in the relationship of patient mistreatment and the subsequent emotional drain experienced by nurses. These results serve as a critical alert to medical managers about the profound impact of negative emotional sharing within healthcare settings. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of valuing and fostering certain personal traits of nurses, such as resilience, which can buffer the effects of patient mistreatment on emotional exhaustion, particularly when coupled with high levels of organizational support. Consequently, it is suggested to combine a supportive organizational culture in healthcare sector with training programs that aims to enhance nurses’ resilience.

Data availability

Data supporting the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Wynne R, Clarkin N, Cox T, Griffith A. Guidance on the prevention of violence at work. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities; 1997.

Goussinsky R. The moderating role of rumination and social sharing in the relationship between mistreatment and service sabotage and depersonalization: a cross-sectional study of hospital nurses. Int J Nurs Stud. 2020;110:103705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103705 .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Di Martino V. Workplace violence in the health sector. Country case studies Brazil, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand and an additional Australian study. Ginebra: Organización Internacional del Trabajo; 2002. pp. 3–42.

Google Scholar  

Lim MC, Jeffree MS, Saupin SS, Giloi N, Lukman KA. Workplace violence in healthcare settings: the risk factors, implications and collaborative preventive measures. Annals Med Surg. 2022;78:103727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2022.10372 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Hadi AA. Bully And Harassment In Healthcare Industry: What Are Our Roles In Prevention, Powerpoint Slides, 2019. https://www.aoemm.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Bully-Harassment-in-Healthcare-Industry-What-are-Our-Roles-in-Prevention-.pdf (Accessed 14 February 2022).

Liu B, Zhu N, Wang H, Li F, Men C. Protecting nurses from mistreatment by patients: a cross-sectional study on the roles of Emotional Contagion susceptibility and emotional regulation ability. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(12):6331. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH18126331 .

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Yan W, Bao N, Zheng S, Wang H, Yue D, Chen L. The impacts of patient mistreatment on healthcare workers’ role behaviors: a study in Chinese Fangcang shelter hospitals. BMC Nurs. 2023;22(1):444.

Goussinsky R, Livne Y. (2016). Coping with interpersonal mistreatment: The role of emotion regulation strategies and supervisor support. Journal of nursing management, 24 (8), 1109–1118. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12415 .

Grandey A, Foo SC, Groth M, Goodwin RE. Free to be you and me: a climate of authenticity alleviates burnout from emotional labor. J Occup Health Psychol. 2012;17(1):1. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025102 .

Bonner G, McLaughlin S. The psychological impact of aggression on nursing staff. Br J Nurs. 2007;16(13):810–4. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2007.16.13.24248 .

Zampieron A, Galeazzo M, Turra S, Buja A. Perceived aggression towards nurses: study in two Italian health institutions. J Clin Nurs. 2010;19(15–16):2329–41. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2009.03118.x .

Ahmad M, Al-Rimawi R, Masadeh A, Atoum M. Workplace violence by patients and their families against nurses: literature review. Int J ofNursing Health Sci. 2015;2(4):46–55. http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/ijnhs .

Choi S, Cheong K, Feinberg RA. Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers. Managing Service Qual. 2012;22:492–516. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604521211281396 .

Hobfoll SE. Conservation of resources: a new attempt at conceptualizing stress. Am Psychol. 1989;44(3):513. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.44.3.513 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Hobfoll SE, Halbesleben J, Neveu JP, Westman M. Conservation of resources in the organizational context: the reality of resources and their consequences. Annual Rev Organizational Psychol Organizational Behav. 2018;5:103–28. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104640 .

Hobfoll SE. The influence of culture, community, and the nested-self in the stress process: advancing conservation of resources theory. Appl Psychol. 2001;50(3):337–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/1464-0597.00062 .

Zech E, Rimé B, Nils F. Social sharing of emotion, emotional recovery, and interpersonal aspects. In: Philippot P, Feldman RS, editors. The regulation of emotion. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 2004. pp. 157–85.

Spencer L. Social sharing of negative emotional events: whether or not sharing helps depends on the Listener’s response. The Pennsylvania State University; 2019.

Delroisse S, Rimé B, Stinglhamber F. Quality of social sharing of emotions alleviates job burnout: the role of meaning of work. J Health Psychol. 2023;28(1):61–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053221091039 .

Nolen-Hoeksema S, Larson J, Grayson C. Explaining the gender difference in depressive symptoms. J Personal Soc Psychol. 1999;77(5):1061. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.77.5.1061 .

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Wang M, Liao H, Zhan Y, Shi J. Daily customer mistreatment and employee sabotage against customers: examining emotion and resource perspectives. Acad Manag J. 2011;54(2):312–34. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.60263093 .

Martin LL, Tesser A. (1989). Toward a motivational and structural theory of ruminative thought.

Martin LL, Tesser A. Some ruminative thoughts. Ruminative Thoughts. 1996;9(1996):1–47.

Zhao S, Liu H, Ma H, Jiao M, Li Y, Hao Y, Qiao H. Coping with workplace violence in healthcare settings: social support and strategies. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(11):14429–44. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph121114429 .

Mathieu M, Eschleman KJ, Cheng D. Meta-analytic and multiwave comparison of emotional support and instrumental support in the workplace. J Occup Health Psychol. 2019;24(3):387. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000135 .

Nahum-Shani I, Bamberger PA, Bacharach SB. Social support and employee well-being: the conditioning effect of perceived patterns of supportive exchange. J Health Soc Behav. 2011;52(1):123–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510395024 .

Willemse BM, de Jonge J, Smit D, Depla MF, Pot AM. The moderating role of decision authority and coworker-and supervisor support on the impact of job demands in nursing homes: a cross-sectional study. Int J Nurs Stud. 2012;49(7):822–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.02.003 .

Egozi Farkash H, Lahad M, Hobfoll SE, Leykin D, Aharonson-Daniel L. Conservation of resources, psychological distress, and resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Int J Public Health. 2022;67:1604567. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604567 .

Hahn S, Zeller A, Needham I, Kok G, Dassen T, Halfens RJ. Patient and visitor violence in general hospitals: a systematic review of the literature. Aggress Violent Beh. 2008;13(6):431–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2008.07.001 .

Bourn J. A safer place to work: protecting NHS hospital and ambulance staff from violence and aggression. London: The National Audit Office; 2003.

Chappell D, Di Martino V. Violence at work. International Labour Organization; 2006.

Wells J, Bowers L. How prevalent is violence towards nurses working in general hospitals in the UK? J Adv Nurs. 2002;39(3):230–40. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02269.x .

Karaeminogullari A, Erdogan B, Bauer TN. Biting the hand that heals: mistreatment by patients and the well-being of healthcare workers. Personnel Rev. 2018;47(2):572–91. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-03-2016-0054 .

Rupp DE, Spencer S. When customers lash out: the effects of customer interactional injustice on emotional labor and the mediating role of discrete emotions. J Appl Psychol. 2006;91(4):971. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.971 .

Groth M, Grandey A. From bad to worse: negative exchange spirals in employee–customer service interactions. Organizational Psychol Rev. 2012;2(3):208–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041386612441735 .

Lanctôt N, Guay S. The aftermath of workplace violence among healthcare workers: a systematic literature review of the consequences. Aggress Violent Beh. 2014;19(5):492–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2014.07.010 .

Viotti S, Gil-Monte PR, Converso D. Toward validating the Italian version of the Spanish burnout inventory: a preliminary study. Revista Da Escola De Enfermagem Da USP. 2015;49:819–25. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-623420150000500016 .

Demerouti E, Bakker AB, Nachreiner F, Schaufeli WB. A model of burnout and life satisfaction amongst nurses. J Adv Nurs. 2000;32(2):454–64. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01496.x .

Bakker AB, Demerouti E. The job demands-resources model: state of the art. J Managerial Psychol. 2007;22(3):309–28. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115 .

Rimé B, Mesquita B, Boca S, Philippot P. Beyond the emotional event: six studies on the social sharing of emotion. Cognition Emot. 1991;5(5–6):435–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699939108411052 .

Rose AJ. Co–rumination in the friendships of girls and boys. Child Dev. 2002;73(6):1830–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.2002.73.issue-6 .

Consedine N, Strongman K, Magai C. Emotions and behaviour: data from a cross-cultural recognition study. Cogn Emot. 2003;17(6):881–902. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930244000246 .

Burleson BR. The experience and effects of emotional support: what the study of cultural and gender differences can tell us about close relationships, emotion, and interpersonal communication. Personal Relationships. 2003;10(1):1–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6811.00033 .

Laurens F, Herbette G, Rimé B. (2000). Le partage social des épisodes émotionnels vécus en milieu hospitalier par le personnel infirmier [Social sharing of emotion among nurses working in the hospital]. Unpublished manuscrit, University of Louvain, Belgium.

Lepore SJ, Ragan JD, Jones S. Talking facilitates cognitive–emotional processes of adaptation to an acute stressor. J Personal Soc Psychol. 2000;78(3):499. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.78.3.499 .

Clark MS, Finkel EJ. (2004). Does expressing emotion promote well-being? It depends on relationship context. The social life of emotions, 105–126. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511819568.007 .

Baranik LE, Wang M, Gong Y, Shi J. Customer mistreatment, employee health, and job performance: cognitive rumination and social sharing as mediating mechanisms. J Manag. 2017;43(4):1261–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206315580581 .

Hobfoll SE. (1988). The ecology of stress. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2460050415 .

Hobfoll SE. Stress, culture, and community: the psychology and physiology of stress. New York: Plenum; 1998. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0115-6 .

Book   Google Scholar  

Hobfoll SE. Conservation of resource caravans and engaged settings. J Occup Organizational Psychol. 2011;84(1):116–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.2010.02016.x .

Eisenberger R, Huntington R, Hutchison S, Sowa D. Perceived organizational support. J Appl Psychol. 1986;71(3):500. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.500 .

Westman M. Stress and strain crossover. Hum Relat. 2001;54(6):717–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726701546002 .

Van Woerkom M, Mostert K, Els C, Bakker AB, De Beer L, Rothmann S Jr. Strengths use and deficit correction in organizations: development and validation of a questionnaire. Eur J Work Organizational Psychol. 2016;25(6):960–75.

Bakker AB, Demerouti E, Euwema MC. Job resources buffer the impact of job demands on burnout. J Occup Health Psychol. 2005;10(2):170. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.10.2.170 .

Eisenberger R, Armeli S, Rexwinkel B, Lynch PD, Rhoades L. Reciprocation of perceived organizational support. J Appl Psychol. 2001;86(1):42. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.1.42 .

George JM, Brief AP. Feeling good-doing good: a conceptual analysis of the mood at work-organizational spontaneity relationship. Psychol Bull. 1992;112(2):310. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.2.310 .

Denney D, O’Beirne M. Violence to probation staff: patterns and managerial responses. Social Policy Adm. 2003;37(1):49–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9515.00323 .

Schat AC, Kelloway EK. Reducing the adverse consequences of workplace aggression and violence: the buffering effects of organizational support. J Occup Health Psychol. 2003;8(2):110. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.8.2.110 .

Wasco SM, Campbell R, Clark M. A multiple case study of rape victim advocates’ self-care routines: the influence of organizational context. Am J Community Psychol. 2002;30:731–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9515.00323 .

Verquer ML, Beehr TA, Wagner SH. A meta-analysis of relations between person–organization fit and work attitudes. J Vocat Behav. 2003;63(3):473–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00036-2 .

Bowling NA, Beehr TA. Workplace harassment from the victim’s perspective: a theoretical model and meta-analysis. J Appl Psychol. 2006;91(5):998. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.5.998 .

Deelstra JT, Peeters MC, Schaufeli WB, Stroebe W, Zijlstra FR, Van Doornen LP. Receiving instrumental support at work: when help is not welcome. J Appl Psychol. 2003;88(2):324. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.2.324 .

Dohrenwend BS. Social stress and community psychology. Am J Community Psychol. 1978;6(1):1. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00890095 .

Luthens F, Avolio BJ. (2003). Authentic Leadership: a positive Developmental Approach. Posit Organizational Scholarsh San Francisco: Barrettt-Koehler, 241–61.

Youssef CM, Luthans F. Positive organizational behavior in the workplace: the impact of hope, optimism, and resilience. J Manag. 2007;33(5):774–800. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307305562 .

Lahad M. From victim to victor: the development of the BASIC PH model of co** and resiliency. Traumatology. 2017;23(1):27. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000105 .

Chen S, Westman M, Hobfoll SE. The commerce and crossover of resources: resource conservation in the service of resilience. Stress Health. 2015;31(2):95–105. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2574 .

Hobfoll SE, Stevens NR, Zalta AK. Expanding the science of resilience: conserving resources in the aid of adaptation. Psychol Inq. 2015;26(2):174–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840x.2015.1002377 .

Bonanno GA. Loss, trauma, and human resilience: have we underestimated the human capacity to Thrive after extremely aversive events? Am Psychol. 2004;59(1):20–8. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.20 .

Wagnild GM, Young HM. Development and psychometric. J Nurs Meas. 1993;1(2):165–17847. https://doi.org/10.1891/1061-3749.25.3.400 .

Abolghasemi A, Varaniyab ST. Resilience and perceived stress: predictors of life satisfaction in the students of success and failure. Procedia-Social Behav Sci. 2010;5:748–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.178 .

Tung KS, Ning WW, Kris LEE. Effect of resilience on self-perceived stress and experiences on stress symptoms a surveillance report. Univers J Public Health. 2014;2(2):64–72. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujph.2014.020205 .

Halbesleben JR, Neveu JP, Paustian-Underdahl SC, Westman M. Getting to the COR understanding the role of resources in conservation of resources theory. J Manag. 2014;40(5):1334–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314527130 .

Moodley J, Cooper D, Mantell JE, Stern E. Health care provider perspectives on pregnancy and parenting in HIV-positive individuals in South Africa. BMC Health Serv Res. 2014;14(1):1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-14-384 .

Brislin RW. (1980). Translation and content analysis of oral and written materials. Methodology, 389–444.

Gable SL, Reis HT, Impett EA, Asher ER. What do you do when things go right? The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events. J Personal Soc Psychol. 2004;87(2):228. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.87.2.228 .

Maslach C, Jackson SE, Leiter MP. Maslach burnout inventory. Scarecrow Education; 1997.

Shen J, Benson J. When CSR is a social norm: how socially responsible human resource management affects employee work behavior. J Manag. 2016;42(6):1723–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314522300 .

Smith SE, Read DJ. Mycorrhizal symbiosis. Academic; 2010.

Fuller CM, Simmering MJ, Atinc G, Atinc Y, Babin BJ. Common methods variance detection in business research. J Bus Res. 2016;69(8):3192–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.12.008 .

Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Lee JY, Podsakoff NP. Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003;88(5):879. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 .

Baron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Personal Soc Psychol. 1986;51(6):1173. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.51.6.1173 .

Preacher KJ, Hayes AF. Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behav Res Methods. 2008;40(3):879–91. https://doi.org/10.3758/brm.40.3.879 .

Dormann C, Zapf D. Customer-related social stressors and burnout. J Occup Health Psychol. 2004;9(1):61. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.9.1.61 .

Anjum MA, Liang D, Durrani DK, Parvez A. Workplace mistreatment and emotional exhaustion: the interaction effects of self-compassion. Curr Psychol. 2020;1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00673-9 .

Kaur P, Islam N, Tandon A, Dhir A. Social media users’ online subjective well-being and fatigue: a network heterogeneity perspective. Technol Forecast Soc Chang. 2021;172:121039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121039 .

Estryn-Behar M, Van Der Heijden B, Camerino D, Fry C, Le Nezet O, Conway PM, Hasselhorn HM. Violence risks in nursing—results from the European ‘NEXT’study. Occup Med. 2008;58(2):107–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqm142 .

Adams S, Camarillo C, Lewis S, McNish N. Resiliency training for medical professionals. US Army Medical Department Journal; 2010.

Podsakoff PM, Organ DW. Self-reports in organizational research: problems and prospects. J Manag. 1986;12(4):531–44.https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/014920638601200408

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants who showed great patience in answering the questionnaire.

This study was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 19BJY052, 22BGL141), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant number: 72110107002, 71974021), Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing (Grant number: cstc2021jcyj-msxmX0689), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant number: 2022CDJSKJC14), and Chongqing Social Science Planning Project (Grant number: 2018PY76).

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China

Wei Yan & Xiu Chen

Medical Insurance Office, Hospital of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China

School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China

Development and Planning Department, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China

Human Resources Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

Department of Burn Plastic and Microsurgery, The No. 987 Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, Baoji, China

Chunjuan Xu

Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, No. 83 Xinqiao Main Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China

Caiping Song

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Study design, questionnaire collection, data acquisition were performed by WY, HW and CJX. Data analysis and the first draft of the manuscript was written by WY and XC. DX, XD, LL and CPS commented on the manuscript and revised it critically for important intellectual content.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Chunjuan Xu or Caiping Song .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

This study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of the School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University (IRB No. SEBA201906). All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulation. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Yan, W., Chen, X., Xiao, D. et al. Patient mistreatment, social sharing of negative events and emotional exhaustion among Chinese nurses: the combined moderating effect of organizational support and trait resilience. BMC Nurs 23 , 260 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01924-x

Download citation

Received : 18 November 2023

Accepted : 08 April 2024

Published : 22 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01924-x

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Resilience trait
• Combined effects

BMC Nursing

ISSN: 1472-6955

• General enquiries: [email protected]

Business process reengineering (BPR) is the radical redesign of core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in performance, efficiency and effectiveness. BPR examples are not one-time projects, but rather examples of a continuous journey of innovation and change focused on optimizing end-to-end processes and eliminating redundancies. The purpose of BPR is to streamline  workflows , eliminate unnecessary steps and improve resource utilization.

BPR involves business process redesign that challenges norms and methods within an organization. It typically focuses on achieving dramatic, transformative changes to existing processes. It should not be confused with  business process management (BPM) , a more incremental approach to optimizing processes, or business process improvement (BPI), a broader term that encompasses any systematic effort to improve current processes. This blog outlines some BPR examples that benefit from a BPM methodology.

Background of business process reengineering

BPR emerged in the early 1990s as a management approach aimed at radically redesigning business operations to achieve business transformation. The methodology gained prominence with the publication of a 1990 article in the Harvard Business Review, “Reengineering Work: Don’t Automate, Obliterate,” by Michael Hammer, and the 1993 book by Hammer and James Champy, Reengineering the Corporation . An early case study of BPR was Ford Motor Company, which successfully implemented reengineering efforts in the 1990s to streamline its manufacturing processes and improve competitiveness.

Organizations of all sizes and industries implement business process reengineering. Step 1 is to define the goals of BPR, and subsequent steps include assessing the current state, identifying gaps and opportunities, and process mapping.

Successful implementation of BPR requires strong leadership, effective change management and a commitment to continuous improvement. Leaders, senior management, team members and stakeholders must champion the BPR initiative and provide the necessary resources, support and direction to enable new processes and meaningful change.

BPR examples: Use cases

Streamlining supply chain management.

Using BPR for supply chain optimization involves a meticulous reassessment and redesign of every step, including logistics, inventory management and procurement . A comprehensive supply chain overhaul might involve rethinking procurement strategies, implementing just-in-time inventory systems, optimizing production schedules or redesigning transportation and distribution networks. Technologies such as supply chain management software (SCM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and advanced analytics tools can be used to automate and optimize processes. For example, predictive analytics can be used to forecast demand and optimize inventory levels, while blockchain technology can enhance transparency and traceability in the supply chain.

• Improved efficiency
• Reduced cost
• Enhanced transparency

Customer relationship management (CRM)

BPR is a pivotal strategy for organizations that want to overhaul their customer relationship management (CRM) processes. Steps of business process reengineering for CRM include integrating customer data from disparate sources, using advanced analytics for insights, and optimizing service workflows to provide personalized experiences and shorter wait times.

BPR use cases for CRM might include:

• Implementing integrated CRM software to centralize customer data and enable real-time insights
• Adopting omnichannel communication strategies to provide seamless and consistent experiences across touchpoints
• Empowering frontline staff with training and resources to deliver exceptional service

Using BPR, companies can establish a comprehensive view of each customer, enabling anticipation of their needs, personalization of interactions and prompt issue resolution.

• 360-degree customer view
• Increased sales and retention
• Faster problem resolution

Digitizing administrative processes

Organizations are increasingly turning to BPR to digitize and automate administrative processes to reduce human errors. This transformation entails replacing manual, paper-based workflows with digital systems that use technologies like Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for routine tasks.

This might include streamlining payroll processes, digitizing HR operations or automating invoicing procedures. This can lead to can significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy and scalability and enable the organization to operate more effectively.

• Reduced processing times
• Reduced errors
• Increased adaptability

Improving product development processes

BPR plays a crucial role in optimizing product development processes, from ideation to market launch. This comprehensive overhaul involves evaluating and redesigning workflows, fostering cross-functional collaboration and innovating by using advanced technologies. This can involve implementing cross-functional teams to encourage communication and knowledge sharing, adopting agile methodologies to promote iterative development and rapid prototyping, and by using technology such as product lifecycle management (PLM) software to streamline documentation and version control.

BPR initiatives such as these enable organizations to reduce product development cycle times, respond more quickly to market demands, and deliver innovative products that meet customer needs.

• Faster time-to-market
• Enhanced innovation
• Higher product quality

Updating technology infrastructure

In an era of rapid technological advancement, BPR serves as a vital strategy for organizations that need to update and modernize their technology infrastructure. This transformation involves migrating to cloud-based solutions, adopting emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) , and integrating disparate systems for improved data management and analysis, which enables more informed decision making. Embracing new technologies helps organizations improve performance, cybersecurity and scalability and positioning themselves for long-term success.

• Enhanced performance
• Improved security
• Increased innovation

Reducing staff redundancy

In response to changing market dynamics and organizational needs, many companies turn to BPR to restructure their workforce and reduce redundancy. These strategic initiatives can involve streamlining organizational hierarchies, consolidating departments and outsourcing non-core functions. Optimizing workforce allocation and eliminating redundant roles allows organizations to reduce costs, enhance operational efficiency and focus resources on key priorities.

• Cost savings
• Increased efficiency
• Focus on core competencies

Cutting costs across operations

BPR is a powerful tool to systematically identify inefficiencies, redundancies and waste within business operations. This enables organizations to streamline processes and cut costs.

BPR focuses on redesigning processes to eliminate non-value-added activities, optimize resource allocation, and enhance operational efficiency. This might entail automating repetitive tasks, reorganizing workflows for minimizing bottlenecks, renegotiating contracts with suppliers to secure better terms, or by using technology to improve collaboration and communication. This can enable significant cost savings and improve profitability.

• Lower costs
• Enhanced competitiveness

Improving output quality

BPR can enhance the quality of output across various business processes, from manufacturing to service delivery. BPR initiatives generally boost key performance indicators (KPIs).

Steps for improving output quality involve implementing quality control measures, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and using customer feedback and other metrics to drive innovation.

Technology can also be used to automate processes. When employees are freed from distracting processes, they can increase their focus on consistently delivering high-quality products and services. This builds customer trust and loyalty and supports the organization’s long-term success.

• Higher customer satisfaction
• Enhanced brand image

Human resource (HR) process optimization

BPR is crucial for optimizing human resources (HR) processes. Initiatives might include automating the onboarding process with easy-to-use portals, streamlining workflows, creating self-service portals and apps, using AI for talent acquisition , and implementing a data-driven approach to performance management.

Fostering employee engagement can also help attract, develop and retain top talent. Aligning HR processes with organizational goals and values can enhance workforce productivity, satisfaction and business performance.

• Faster recruitment cycles
• Improved employee engagement
• Strategic talent allocation

BPR examples: Case studies

The following case study examples demonstrate a mix of BPR methodologies and use cases working together to yield client benefits.

Bouygues becomes the AI standard bearer in French telecom

Bouygues Telecom , a leading French communications service provider, was plagued by legacy systems that struggled to keep up with an enormous volume of support calls. The result? Frustrated customers were left stranded in call lines and Bouygues at risk of being replaced by its competitors. Thankfully, Bouygues had partnered with IBM previously in one of our first pre- IBM watsonx™ AI deployments. This phase 1 engagement laid the groundwork perfectly for AI’s injection into the telecom’s call center during phase 2.

Today, Bouygues greets over 800,000 calls a month with IBM watsonx Assistant™, and IBM watsonx Orchestrate™ helps alleviate the repetitive tasks that agents previously had to handle manually, freeing them for higher-value work. In all, agents’ pre-and-post-call workloads were reduced by 30%. 1 In addition, 8 million customer-agent conversations—which were, in the past, only partially analyzed—have now been summarized with consistent accuracy for the creation of actionable insights.

Taken together, these technologies have made Bouygues a disruptor in the world of customer care, yielding a USD 5 million projected reduction in yearly operational costs and placing them at the forefront of AI technology. 1

Finance of America promotes lifetime loyalty via customer-centric transformation

By co-creating with IBM, mortgage lender Finance of America was able to recenter their operations around their customers, driving value for both them and the prospective home buyers they serve.

To accomplish this goal, FOA iterated quickly on both new strategies and features that would prioritize customer service and retention. From IBM-facilitated design thinking workshops came roadmaps for a consistent brand experience across channels, simplifying the work of their agents and streamlining the application process for their customers.

As a result of this transformation, FOA is projected to double their customer base in just three years. In the same time frame, they aim to increase revenue by over 50% and income by over 80%. Now, Finance of America is primed to deliver enhanced services—such as debt advisory—that will help promote lifetime customer loyalty. 2

BPR examples and IBM

Business process reengineering (BPR) with IBM takes a critical look at core processes to spot and redesign areas that need improvement. By stepping back, strategists can analyze areas like supply chain, customer experience and finance operations. BPR services experts can embed emerging technologies and overhaul existing processes to improve the business holistically. They can help you build new processes with intelligent workflows that drive profitability, weed out redundancies, and prioritize cost saving.

1. IBM Wow Story: Bouygues Becomes the AI Standard-Bearer in French Telecom. Last updated 10 November 2023.

2. IBM Wow Story: Finance of America Promotes Lifetime Loyalty via Customer-Centric Transformation. Last updated 23 February 2024.

More from Business transformation

Commerce strategy: ecommerce is dead, long live ecommerce.

5 min read - In today’s dynamic and uncertain landscape, commerce strategy—what we might formerly have referred to as ecommerce strategy—is so much more than it once was. Commerce is a complex journey in which the moment of truth—conversion—takes place. This reality means that every brand in every industry with every business model needs to optimize the commerce experience, and thus the customer experience, to drive conversion rates and revenues. Done correctly, this process also contains critical activities that can significantly reduce costs and…

5 steps for implementing change management in your organization

5 min read - Change is inevitable in an organization; especially in the age of digital transformation and emerging technologies, businesses and employees need to adapt. Change management (CM) is a methodology that ensures both leaders and employees are equipped and supported when implementing changes to an organization. The goal of a change management plan, or more accurately an organizational change plan, is to embed processes that have stakeholder buy-in and support the success of both the business and the people involved. In practice,…

4 ways generative AI addresses manufacturing challenges

4 min read - The manufacturing industry is in an unenviable position. Facing a constant onslaught of cost pressures, supply chain volatility and disruptive technologies like 3D printing and IoT. The industry must continually optimize process, improve efficiency, and improve overall equipment effectiveness. At the same time, there is this huge sustainability and energy transition wave. Manufacturers are being called to reduce their carbon footprint, adopt circular economy practices and become more eco-friendly in general. And manufacturers face pressure to constantly innovate while ensuring…

IBM Newsletters