This paper investigates the relationship between workplace bullying and employee outcomes in a healthcare setting. Drawing on HR process theory, we investigate the mediating role of the perceived effectiveness of implementation of anti-bullying practices on employee outcomes and whether targeted line manager training was a moderator of that relationship. Our multi-level analysis (utilising responses from 1507 employees within 47 hospitals with matched HR Director interviews), finds that the relationship between workplace bullying and employee outcomes is partially mediated by employees’ perceived effective implementation of intended anti-bully practices. The mediated relationship is moderated by targeted line manager training in anti-bullying practices. The mediated moderation model illustrates that it is effective implementation of anti-bullying practices enhanced by targeted training that is required to reduce bullying probabilities and their associated negative employee outcomes. The paper contributes to resource based view of the firm, HR process and human capital theories. The implications for future research and practice are discussed.

This study utilises both evolutionary resource-based view (EBRV) and open systems theory to investigate the long term impact of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) on labour productivity in UK manufacturing and service sector SMEs. We investigate both forward and reverse causality and the moderating role of owner-manager strategic orientation, and whether such relationships are influenced by firm size and age. Utilising a longitudinal data set (a balanced panel) comprising 284 UK SMEs and six waves of data collection over a ten-year time period (2007–2017), we found support for both forward and reverse causality. Prior investments in HPWPs were positively associated with subsequent firm labour productivity and prior labour productivity was positively associated with future investment in HPWPs. The size of the estimated coefficients for these relationships were consistently larger for small firms than for medium sized firms, however there were not significant for firm age. We additionally found that owner-manager strategic orientation towards HR moderated both forward and reverse causality relationships and that this relationship increased over time. The size of the estimated coefficients was larger in small firms compared to medium-sized firms. Overall, our findings support calls to investigate both forward and reverse causality and to better understand potential differences between small and medium sized firms.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to look at the role played by three archetypal constructs pertaining to the individual sustainability-oriented entrepreneur, namely prior knowledge, sustainability orientation and sustainability intention, in legitimation behavior and explores their strategic utility.Design/methodology/approach: The author studies legitimacy-seeking behavior in the case of ten sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs. A qualitative case study approach is used, capturing evidence of legitimation behavior in the startup phase through interviews, participant observation and documentation analysis.Findings: Prior knowledge and sustainability orientation appear to offer little value beyond their role as necessary factors in maintaining legitimacy. Both appear to have limited strategic value for legitimation in comparison to sustainability intention. Intention as a construct embodies the “paradox” of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship, and learning to successfully overcome this paradox to strategically utilize intention in legitimation is crucial for these entrepreneurs.Practical implications: Knowledge of these factors could assist sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs in strategically utilizing these factors as agency when dealing with diverse stakeholder expectations to achieve their enterprising goals. Strengthening knowledge on factors important for legitimacy is pertinent in supporting this shared value approach to entrepreneurship.Originality/value: Little theoretical or empirical attention has been paid to the complexity of strategic legitimation behavior of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurs. This paper provides novel empirical insight into what role these archetypal factors play in legitimation behavior and how they can be strategically utilized.