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Organizational structure and continuous improvement and learning: Moderating effects of cultural endorsement of participative leadership

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  • Xiaowen Huang

    (Department of Management, Farmer School of Business, Miami (OH) University, Oxford, USA)

  • Joseph C Rode

    (Department of Management, Farmer School of Business, Miami (OH) University, Oxford, USA)

  • Roger G Schroeder

    (Department of Organization and Strategy, Tilburg University, the Netherlands)

Abstract

Building upon the culturally endorsed implicit theory of leadership, we investigated the moderating effects of national culture on the relationship between organizational structure and continuous improvement and learning. We propose that the relationship between organic organizations (characterized by flat, decentralized structures with a wide use of multifunctional employees) and continuous improvement and learning will be stronger when national cultural endorsement for participative leadership is high. We further propose that organizational group culture will moderate the relationship between organizational structure and continuous improvement and learning, but that these moderation effects will be stronger in national cultures with low endorsement of participative leadership. Empirical analysis of secondary survey data collected from 266 manufacturing plants operating in three industries and located in nine countries representing a diverse set of geographical regions provided support for the hypotheses. Overall, our findings indicate that, to fully realize the relationship between organic structures and continuous improvement and learning, managers must actively assess the extent to which the national culture endorses participative leadership. In cases where this endorsement is weak, managers should consider the extent to which the organizational culture will provide alternative support for the relationship.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaowen Huang & Joseph C Rode & Roger G Schroeder, 2011. "Organizational structure and continuous improvement and learning: Moderating effects of cultural endorsement of participative leadership," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(9), pages 1103-1120, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:42:y:2011:i:9:p:1103-1120
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    Cited by:

    1. Blankenburg Holm, Desirée & Drogendijk, Rian & Haq, Hammad ul, 2020. "An attention-based view on managing information processing channels in organizations," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(2).
    2. Srivastava, Saurabh & Singh, Shiwangi & Dhir, Sanjay, 2020. "Culture and International business research: A review and research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    3. Ambra Galeazzo & Andrea Furlan & Andrea Vinelli, 2017. "The organizational infrastructure of continuous improvement – an empirical analysis," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 33-46, June.
    4. Marcel F. Assen, 2018. "The moderating effect of management behavior for Lean and process improvement," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, June.
    5. Meier, Andre & Kock, Alexander, 2021. "Characteristics, Antecedents, and Consequences of Agile R&D Units' Organization - A Conceptual Framework," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 130791, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    6. Dejun Tony Kong & Roger Volkema, 2016. "Cultural Endorsement of Broad Leadership Prototypes and Wealth as Predictors of Corruption," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(1), pages 139-152, May.
    7. Martin, Xavier, 2013. "Solving theoretical and empirical conundrums in international strategy research by matching foreign entry mode choices and performance," Other publications TiSEM 7645ea46-0b9a-4fc0-ae33-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Naor, Michael & Jones, Janine Sanders & Bernardes, Ednilson S. & Goldstein, Susan Meyer & Schroeder, Roger, 2014. "The culture-effectiveness link in a manufacturing context: A resource-based perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 321-331.
    9. Ali Dastmalchian & Nick Bacon & Nicola McNeil & Claudia Steinke & Paul Blyton & Medha Satish Kumar & Secil Bayraktar & Werner Auer-Rizzi & Ali Ahmad Bodla & Richard Cotton & Tim Craig & Behice Ertenu , 2020. "High-performance work systems and organizational performance across societal cultures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(3), pages 353-388, April.
    10. Osama Khassawneh & Hamzah Elrehail, 2022. "The Effect of Participative Leadership Style on Employees’ Performance: The Contingent Role of Institutional Theory," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-13, December.
    11. Céline Bérard & Marc Fréchet, 2020. "Organizational antecedents of exploration and exploitation in SMEs: The role of structural and resource attributes," Post-Print halshs-02570775, HAL.
    12. Mulugeta Girma Dibiku, 2023. "Kaizen and Productivity: The Mediating Effect of the Customer-supplier Relationship Using Smart-PLS," Istanbul Management Journal, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 0(94), pages 1-15, June.
    13. Ofer Mintz & Imran S Currim & Jan-Benedict E M Steenkamp & Martijn Jong, 2021. "Managerial metric use in marketing decisions across 16 countries: A cultural perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(8), pages 1474-1500, October.
    14. Rode, Joseph C. & Huang, Xiaowen & Schroeder, Roger G., 2022. "Human resources practices and continuous improvement and learning across cultures," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).
    15. Sehoon Kim & Dae Seok Chai & Junhee Kim & Sewon Kim & Youngsoo Song, 2022. "Between Work Conditions and Job Outcomes: Testing a Nomological Network of Life Satisfaction," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(3), pages 1407-1431, June.
    16. Lee, Jeoung Yul & Kim, Sunghoon & Noh, Shinwon & Jang, Seung Hoon & Lee, Sang Youn, 2024. "Paradoxical organizational culture, authoritarian leadership, and international firm performance: evidence from international firms in China," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    17. Lythreatis, Sophie & Mostafa, Ahmed Mohammed Sayed & Pereira, Vijay & Wang, Xiaojun & Giudice, Manlio Del, 2021. "Servant leadership, CSR perceptions, moral meaningfulness and organizational identification- evidence from the Middle East," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    18. Yuen, Kum Fai & Thai, Vinh V. & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2016. "The effect of continuous improvement capacity on the relationship between of corporate social performance and business performance in maritime transport in Singapore," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 62-75.
    19. van Assen, Marcel F., 2020. "Empowering leadership and contextual ambidexterity – The mediating role of committed leadership for continuous improvement," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 435-449.
    20. Fei Ma & Dan Guo & Kum Fai Yuen & Qipeng Sun & Fuxia Ren & Xiaobo Xu & Chengyong Zhao, 2020. "The Influence of Continuous Improvement of Public Car-Sharing Platforms on Passenger Loyalty: A Mediation and Moderation Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-21, April.
    21. Danilo Magno Marchiori & Emerson Wagner Mainardes & Ricardo José Rodrigues, 2024. "Bridging Culture and Technology: A Study of E-Government Adoption," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 885-905, September.

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