Individuals in organizations must frequently enact a series of ongoing decisions in real-time dynamic contexts. Despite the increasing need for individuals to manage dynamic decision-making demands, we still understand little about individual differences impacting performance in these environments. This paper proposes a new construct applicable to adaptation in such real-time dynamic environments. Cognitive agility is a formative construct measuring the individual capacity to exhibit cognitive flexibility, cognitive openness and focused attention. This study predicts that cognitive agility will impact adaptive performance in a real-time dynamic decision-making microworld computer game called the Networked Fire Chief; a simulation developed to study and train Australian fire fighters. Cognitive agility, operationalized through three distinct methods (performance measures, self-reports and external-rater reports), explained unique variance beyond measures of general intelligence on the total score of adaptive performance in the microworld.

Individuals who allege bullying bring their own version of events to any investigation, and regardless of the allegations made, there is always more than one account of what took place. Perception influences the interpretations placed on our actions and that of others, especially in terms of whether these constitute bullying in the context in which they are observed. Since investigators, and researchers, are heavily reliant on self-reports, it is important to understand how subjectivities affect individual interpretation and responses. Based on Heider’s Balance Theory, this conceptual article presents a series of propositions relating to subjective factors in perceiving an act as bullying. Research which explores these factors will facilitate better understanding of allegations of bullying. Potential implications for research, awareness raising, education and training, investigation and interpretation of allegations of workplace bullying are advanced.

This paper investigates the impact of leader feedback on followers’ knowledge-sharing behavior through a regulatory focus theory perspective. Data were collected through an experiment with 129 college students. Results showed that compared with leader’s prevention feedback style and negative feedback valence, promotion style and positive feedback valence inspire employee knowledge-sharing behavior better. These two positive relationships are mediated by promotion situational regulatory focus. The negative relationship between prevention leader feedback style and knowledge sharing is mediated by prevention situational regulatory focus, while negative leader feedback valence has its negative effect on knowledge sharing directly.

According to new institutionalism, this work simultaneously analyzes different methods of operating abroad – that is, joint venture, acquisition and greenfield – in terms of the level of management and ownership control they provide. This research studies the regulative and cognitive institutions that explain the multinational company’s choice of a particular level of that control for its subsidiaries years after entering a foreign country. We analyze 109 German firms with subsidiaries in Spain. The results show that the level of management and ownership control for the subsidiary responds to the institutional quality of the host country and the internal and especially external isomorphic pressures.

This work aims to determine whether family firms have differential characteristics that make them better incubators for ethical behavior from the perspective of stewardship theory. Results show that the psychological and situational factors that stewardship theory points to as determinants in the construction of principal–steward relationships are more evident in family firms than in non-family firms. These factors result in the behavior of owners and non-family employees becoming more ethical – with all the benefits this implies for these firms.

Supplier–buyer exchange relationship and quality of that relationship (supplier satisfaction and commitment) have been examined from various angles in the extant literature. Yet, there is a paucity of research investigating the influence of supplier characteristics – especially supplier resilience – on relationship quality. Driven to fill this gap, this study aims to develop theory of the influence of perceived benefits from supplier–buyer exchange relationship and supplier resilience on relationship quality. Data drawn from 97 supplier–buyer dyads were used. Hierarchical regression analyses showed the positive influence of both perceived benefits from supplier–buyer exchange relationships and supplier resilience on relationship quality. Further empirical and theoretical implications, as well as the limitations of the study, are discussed.

We examine the manner in which South African-owned multinationals devolve power to their international subsidiaries in Africa, and the resulting effects of the interaction between strategy and structure. The research suggests that a dynamic process of power distribution may develop, in terms of the following: (1) the performance of the subsidiary, its expertise and experience to adapt to local market demands; and (2) the multinational’s need to manage the risks propagated by the African operating environment in which it operates. There is a dual facet to power devolvement, one in which South African multinationals opt for risk mitigation through long-standing control, often at the expense of operational adaptation. In contrast with the literature, which sees multinational corporations as differentiated networks, in the South African case we find a more traditional approach with clear headquarters and ‘miniature replica’ subsidiaries. This suggests that South African multinational corporations are still emerging and that it will take time to develop differentiated networks.