Meta-Synthesis of Antecedents and Consequences of Courage in the Workplace

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jomc.2024.381315.1008705

Abstract

Purpose: As organizations and individuals face increasing pressures and coercion, courageous actions become essential for effectively addressing these challenges. This research aims to investigate the antecedents and outcomes of courage within workplace settings through a comprehensive review of existing literature.
Method: This study utilized a meta-synthesis approach for its research design. Sample selection was carried out using purposeful sampling techniques. Additionally, qualitative data were converted into quantitative data through Shannon's entropy method for indicator weighting and ranking.
Findings: The antecedents of workplace courage were identified and categorized into four primary groups: individual, organizational, situational, and environmental factors, ranked in order of significance. Moreover, the manifestations of workplace courage were divided into positive and negative outcomes.
Conclusion: The findings of this study offer valuable insights for businesses and organizational leaders regarding the vital role of courage in the workplace. By understanding the antecedents of courage, organizations can create environments that encourage courageous actions and maximize their beneficial effects.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. جهانگیری، جهانگیر و محمدی، نسرین (1395). بررسی عوامل اجتماعی مرتبط با شجاعت اجتماعی (مورد مطالعه: دانشجویان دانشگاه شیراز). مطالعات توسعة اجتماعی‌ـ فرهنگی، 5(2)، 9 ـ 30.

    حسن‌پور، اکبر؛ عبدالهی، بیژن؛ جعفری‌نیا، سعید و سهرابی، فاطمه (1399). طراحی الگوی شجاعت مدیریتی در سازمان‌های دولتی با رویکرد داده‌بنیاد. آینده‌پژوهی مدیریت، 31، 135 ـ 153.

    سپهوند، رضا؛ نظرپوری، امیرهوشنگ و فعلی، راضیه (1400). اثر فاصلة قدرت بر قصد افشاگری کارکنان با نقش میانجی شجاعت اخلاقی. مدیریت فرهنگ سازمانی، 19(1)، 47 ـ 71

    صفرزاده، محمدحسین و کریم‌داد، علی‌رضا (1399). بررسی عوامل مؤثر بر شجاعت اخلاقی حسابرسان داخلی. دانش حسابداری مالی، 7(1)، 135 ـ 155.

    محمدظاهری، محمد؛ وحدتی، حجت؛ سپهوند، رضا و نظرپوری، امیرهوشنگ (1398). مدل سنجش شجاعت اخلاقی مدیران ارشد در سازمان‌های دولتی ایران. پژوهش‌های مدیریت انتظامی، 14، 455 ـ 476.

    Baumert, A., Li, M., Sasse, J., & Skitka, L. (2020). Standing up against Moral Violations: Psychological Processes of Moral Courage. Journal of Experomental Social Psychology, 1-3.

    Bibi, A. & Afsar, B. (2020). Behavioural courage and its effect on innovative work behaviour of public sector employees: the role of managerial position and gender. Int. J. Public Sector Performance Management, 6, 124-142.

    Campos, L. P. (2012). Cultivatiing Cultures of Courage with transactional Analysis. Transactional Analysis Journal, 42, 209-219.

    Cason, D. D., Casini, A., & Hellemans, C. (2020). Moral Courage Fostering Bystander Intervention against Workplace Bullying: Findings form an Exploratory Study with a Video-Vignette Procedure. International Journal of Bullying Prevention.

    Chowdhury, R. M. & Septianto, F. (2023). Recruiting volunteers: the roles of fear, hope and courage. European Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 226-257.

    Comer, D. R. & Sekerka, L. E. (2017). Keep calm and carry on (ethically): Durable moral courage in the workplace. Human Resource Management Review, 1-15.

    Detert, J. R. & Bruno, E. A. (2017). Workplace courage: Review, synthesis, and future agenda for a complex construct. Academy of Management Annals, 1-104.

    Finfgeld, D. L. (1995). The Role of Courage in the Management of Chronic Illness. The online Journal of Knowledge Synthesis for Nursing, 2, 1-10.

    Ghatterjee, S., Moody, G., Lowry, P. B., Ghakraborty, S., & Hardin, A. (2019). Information Technology and organizational innovation: Harmonious information technology affordance and courage-based actualization. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 1-20.

    Greitemeyer, T., Osswald, S., Fischer, P., & Frey, D. (2007). Civil courage: Implicit theories, related consept and measurement. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2, 115-119.

    1. Goud, N. (2005). Courage: Its Nature and Development. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 44, 102-116.

    Halmburger, A., Baumert, A., & Schmitt, M. (2017). Everyday Heroes: Determinants of Moral Courage. In S. T. Allison, G. R. Goethals, & R. M. Kramer, Handbook of Heroism and Heroic Leadership (pp. 165-184). New York: Aylor & Francis Group.

    Hannah, S. T., Avolio, B. J., & Walumbwa, F. O. (2011). Relationships between Authentic Leadership, Moral Courage, and Ethical and Pro-Social Behaviors. Business Ethics Quarterly, 555-578.

    Harbour, M. & Kisfalvi, V. (2014). In the Eye of the Beholder: An Exploration of Managerial Courage. J Bus Ethics, 493-515.

    Hassanpour, A., Abdolahi, B., Jafarinia, S., & Sohrabi, F. (2019). Desining a Model of Managerial Courage in Public Organizations whit the Grounded Theory approch. Journal of Future Studies Management, 31, 135-153. (in Persian)

    Holzer, J. V. & Tritsch, J. L. (2012). Moral Courage in Organizations: Doing the Right Thing at Work by Debra R. Comer and Gina Vega (Eds). Organization Management Journal, 9, 142-144.

    Howard, M. C. (2018). Applying the approach/avoidance framework to underatand the relationships between social courage, workplace outcomes, and well-being outcomes. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-15.

    Howard, M. C. (2021). Identifying social courage antecedents and mediating effects: Applying the HEXACO and approach/avoidance frameworks. Personality and Individual Differences, 173, 1-8.

    Howard, M. C., Forde, W., Whitmore, J., & Lambert, E. V. (2022). “I alone can fix it”: is social courage a bright side of narcissism?. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 9(4), 692-723.

    Howard, M. C. & Cogswell, J. E. (2018). The left of courage: Three exploratory studies on the antecadents of social courage. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-17.

    Howard, M. C., Forde, W., Whitmore, J., & Lambert, E. V. (2022). “I alone can fix it”: is social courage a bright side of narcissism?. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 9(4), 692-723.‏

    Jahangiri, J. & Mohammadi N. (2016). The study of Factors Related to social courage (Case study: Shiraz University Students). Socio-Cultural Development Studies. 5(2), 9-30. (in Persian)

    Kaltiainen, J., Virtanen, A., & Hakanen, J. J. (2024). Social courage promotes organizational identification via crafting social resources at work: A repeated-measures study. Human Relations, 77(1), 53-80.‏

    Kayser, D. N., Greitmeyer, T., Fischer, P., & Frey, D. (2010). Why mood affects help giving, but not moral courage: Comparing two types of prosocial behaviour. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 1136-1157.

    Khelil, I., Akrout, O., Hussainey, K., & Noubbigh, H. (2018). Breaking the silence: An empirical analysis of the drivers of internal auditors' moral courage. International Journal of Auditing, 22(2), 268-284.

    Kilmann, R. H., O'Hara, L. A., & Strauss, J. P. (2010). Developing and validating a quantitative measure of organizational courage. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25, 15-23.

    Koerner, M. M. (2014). Courage as Identity Work: Accounts of Workplace Courage. Academy of Management Journal, 57, 63-93.

    Lester, P. B. & Pury, C. (2011). What Leaders Should Know About Courage? In Leadership in Dangerous Situations: A Handbook for the Armed Forces, Emergancy Services and First Responders (pp. 21-39). US Army Research. 347.

    Li, H., Guo, J., Ren, Z., Bai, D., Yang, J., Wang, W. & Gao, J. (2024). Moral courage level of nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC nursing, 23(1), 530.

    Magnano, P., Lodi, E., Zammitti, A., & Patrizi, P. (2021). Courage, Career Adaptability, and Readiness as Resources to Improve Weii-Being during the University-to-Work Transition in Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 1-16.

    Mansur, J., Sobral, F., & Islam, G. (2020). Leading with moral courage: The interplay of guilt and courage onperceivved ethical leadership and group organizational citizenship behaviors. Business Ethica a European Review, 1-15.

    Mcmillan, T. & Rachman, S. J. (1988). Fearlessness and Courage in Paratroopers Undergoing Training. Department of Psychology, 373-378.

    Mert, I. S., Sen, C., & Alzghoul, A. (2021). Organizational justice, life satisfaction, and happiness: the mediating role of workplace social courage. Kybernetes, 3-19.

    Meyer, R. D., Dalal, R. S., & Hermida, R. (2010, January). A Review and Synthesis of Situational Strengh in the Organizational Sciences. Journal of Management, 36, 121-140.

    Miller, D. & Breton-Miller, I. L. (2017). Sources of Entrepreneurial Courage and Imagination: Three Perspectives, Three Contexts. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 41(5), 667-675.

    Mohamad-Zaheri, M., Vahdati, H., Sepahvand, R., Nazarpouri, A.H. (2018). A model of measuring the moral courage of senior managers in Iran's public organizations. Police Management Studies Quaterly, 14, 455-476. (in Persian)

    Mkheimer, I. M., Selem, K. M., Shehata, A. E., Hussain, K., & Perez, M. P. (2022). Can hotel employees arise internal whistleblowing intentions? Leader ethics, workplace virtues and moral courage. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 32(2), 203-222.

    Mostafa, A. M. (2019). Abusive supervision and moral courage: does moral efficacy matter?. PSU research review, 3(2), 145-155.

    Nemeth, C. & Chiles, C. (1988). Modelling courage: The role of dissent in fostering independence. European Journal of Social Psychology, 18(3), 275–280.

    Nkouka, A. O. & Ougnounza, L-M. L. (2019). Courage, Determinantion and Perseverance: A Psychological Approach of Amos Tutuolas: the Witch Herbalist of the Remote Town. Didactique, Sciences Cognitives ET Litterature, 34-60.

    Ogunfowora, B., Maerz, A., & Varty, C. T. (2021). How do leaders foster morally courageous behavior on employees? Leader role modeling, moral ownership, and felt obligation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 483-503.

    Pury, C. L. & Hensel, A. D. (2010, January). Are courageous actions successful actions?. The Journal of PositivePsychology, 5, 62-72.

    Pury, C. S., Kowalski, R. M., & Spearman, J. (2007). Distinctions between general and personal courage. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2, 99-114.

    Qian, S., Wang, W., & Ye, M. (2016). The Courage in Human Nature: Re-Picking up and highlighting the Ancient Virtue from Psychological Perspective. Advances in Psychology, 6, 158-168.

    Quinn, R. W. & Worline, M. C. (2008). Enabling Courageous Collective Action: Conversationa form United Airlines Flight 93. Organization Science, 19, 497-516.

    Rate, C. R. & Sternberg, R. J. (2007). When good people do nothing: A failure of courage. In J. Langan-Fox, C. L. Cooper, & R. J. Kimoski, Research companion to the dysfunctional workplace: Management challenges and symptoms (pp. 3-21). Northampton: MA: Edward Elgar.

    Schilpzand, P., Hekman, D. R., & Mitchell, T. R. (2015). An Inductively Generated Typology and Process Model of Workplace Courage. Organization Science, 26, 52-77.

    Schwartz, A. (2017). Courage. In A. Schwartz. Developing Leaders for Positive Organizing (pp. 83-94). Emerald.

    Sekerka, L. E., Bagozzi, R., & Charnigo, R. (2009). Facing Ethical Challenges in the Workplace: Conceptualizing and Measuring Professional Moral Courage. Journal of Business Ethica, 89, 565-579.

    Sen, C. & Meret, I. S. (2020). Courage Management: Courage as a Management. In H. Babacan, & R. Inan, Social and Humanities scienes Theory, Current Researches and New Trends (pp. 160-183). Cetinje-Montenegro.

    Serrat, O. (2017). Moral Courage in Organizations. In O. Serrat, Knowledge Solutions: Tools, Methods, and Approaches to Drive Organizational Performance (pp. 489-497). Springer, Singapore.

    Sepehvand, R., Nazarpouri, A., & Feli, R. (2021). The Effect of Power Distance on Employee Whistleblowing Intention with the Mediating Role of Moral Courage. Organizational Culture Management, 19(1), 45-71. (in Persian)

    Smidt, A. M., Adams-Clark, A. A., & Freyd, J. J. (2023). Institutional courage buffers against institutional betrayal, protects employee health, and fosters organizational commitment following workplace sexual harassment. Plos one, 18(1).‏ 1-25

    Tkachenko, O., Quast, L. N., Song, W., & Jang, S. (2018). Courage in the workplace: The effects of organizational level and gender on the relationship between behavioral courage and job performance. Journal of Manangement and Organization, 1-17.

    Yang, J. & Milliren, A. (2010). The Psychology of Courage: An Adlerian Handbook for Healthy Social Living 1st Edition. New York: NY: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.