Search Results (104)

Most academic work concludes that supervisors are typically viewed as providers rather than seekers of emotional support, as emotional support-seeking may be seen as a threat to their status in the workplace. However, this conclusion is incomplete due to two limitations in prior studies: (1) the tendency to interpret emotional support-seeking by high-status individuals as a lack of task-oriented competence, overlooking the relational dimension inherent in such behavior; and (2) neglecting subordinates’ expectations of authentic and approachable leadership prototypes. This study focuses on how and when supervisors’ emotional support-seeking enhances their leadership influence, from a leadership perspective that integrates relations-oriented and task-oriented dimensions. Drawing on a social network approach and regression analysis, we tested our hypotheses using data from 93 teams in 51 Chinese organizations, comprising 150 supervisors and 525 direct subordinates. The results reveal that supervisors’ emotional support-seeking is positively associated with their leadership influence via LMX efficiency. Furthermore, managerial competence moderates the relationship between supervisors’ emotional support-seeking and their LMX efficiency. This study challenges the prevailing assumption that emotional support-seeking undermines status, highlighting the positive impact of supervisors’ emotional support-seeking on their relationship and leadership in the workplace. Full article

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded within service-oriented High-Performance Work Systems (HPWSs), understanding its implications for employee well-being and organizational sustainability is critical. This study examines the relationship between AI service quality and job satisfaction, considering the mediating effect of perceived organizational justice and the moderating influence of supervisor support. Drawing on the ISS model, equity, organizational justice, and Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) theory, data were collected from a diverse sample of service sector employees through a cross-sectional design. The findings indicate that higher AI service quality significantly enhances job satisfaction, particularly in environments with strong supervisor support. Contrary to expectations, perceived organizational justice did not mediate the AI-satisfaction link, suggesting that perceived organizational justice constructs may be less influential in AI-mediated contexts. Instead, supervisor support emerged as a key contextual enabler, strengthening employees’ positive perceptions and emotional responses to AI systems. These results emphasize that technological optimization alone is insufficient for building sustainable service workplaces. Effective leadership and human-centered practices remain essential to fostering trust, satisfaction, and long-term engagement in digitally transforming organizations. This study offers practical and theoretical insights into integrating AI and human resource strategies in support of socially sustainable service systems. Full article

Corporate team unity and role clarity are crucial for organizational success and human resources. This study examines how job clarity affects employee performance and innovative work behavior (IWB) via organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Additionally, to determine how artificial intelligence (AI) information and leader-member exchange (LMX) moderate the relationship between job clarity, IWB, and employee performance. This research focused on Pakistan’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Islamabad, and Punjab province’s IT sectors. The self-administered questionnaire received data from 555 IT professionals. The suggested model was tested using Smart PLS structural equation modeling. Results showed that job clarity and OCB significantly improve IWB and employee performance. Role clarity, IWB, and employee performance are partly mediated by OCB. In addition, LMX adversely moderates the relationship between job clarity and IWB and employee performance, but not AI information. Emphasis is primarily placed on elucidating the respective roles of the employees in order to ensure that they are aware of the expectations placed upon them. Consequently, they are able to demonstrate task performances that are not stipulated in their job descriptions but directly relate to their performance improvement. The current study reveals that human resources (HR) and management should prioritize job clarity and OCB to boost individual performance and IWB. Full article

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant advances in screening and treatment, the prognosis for advanced-stage disease continues to be poor. One thriving area of research focuses on the use of epigenetic alterations for the diagnosis, prediction of treatment response, and prognosis of CRC. In this study, we evaluated original studies and meta-analyses published within the past five years to identify the most clinically relevant epigenetic biomarkers. DNA methylation-based assays, particularly those targeting SDC2 and SEPT9 in stool and plasma, exhibit superior diagnostic accuracy compared to other epigenetic modalities. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), including miR-211, miR-197, and miR-21, as well as specific long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) such as SNHG14, LINC01485, and ASB16-AS1, also show promising diagnostic potential. Furthermore, panels combining multiple epigenetic markers, especially those incorporating DNA methylation targets, have demonstrated improved sensitivity and specificity for early-stage CRC detection. In the context of therapeutic prediction, microRNAs such as miR-140, miR-21, and miR-4442 have been associated with chemotherapy resistance and recurrence risk. DNA methylation markers like LINE-1, mSEPT9 and ERCC1 have also shown predictive value, while lncRNAs including MALAT1 and GAS6-AS1 remain less validated. Regarding prognosis, miRNAs appear to be the most promising biomarkers, with miR-675-5p and miR-150 being associated with poor survival, while miR-767-5p and miR-215 predict favorable outcomes. Methylation of NKX6.1, IGFBP3, and LMX1A has been identified as an independent negative prognostic factor, while SFRP2 hypermethylation is linked to better prognosis. Selected lncRNAs, including THOR and LINC01094, have also demonstrated significant prognostic value. Despite these advances, challenges persist, including inconsistent reporting, limited external validation, and a lack of replication by independent research groups. Full article

Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND) is associated with a complete deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) activity due to mutations in the HPRT1 gene. Although the physiopathology of LND-related neurological manifestations remains unknown, a defective neuronal developmental process is the most widely accepted hypothesis. We generated an HPRT-deficient line from the pluripotent human embryonic cell line NT2/D1 by CRISPR-Cas9 and induced its differentiation along neuroectodermal lineages by retinoic acid treatment. As levels of folic acid in the culture media may affect results in LND models, we employed physiological levels of folate. The effect of HPRT deficiency on neural development-related gene expression was evaluated using two methodological approaches: a directed qPCR array of genes related to neuronal differentiation, and global gene expression by RNAseq. HPRT-deficient pluripotent cells presented altered expression of genes related to pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells, such as DPPA3 and CFAP95, along with genes of the homeobox gene family. HPRT-deficient pluripotent cells were able to differentiate along neuro-ectodermal lineages but presented consistent dysregulation of several genes from the homeobox gene family, including EN1 and LMX1A. GO enrichment analysis of up- and downregulated genes in HPRT-deficient cells showed that the most significant biological processes affected are related to development and nervous system development. Full article

The definitive demonstration of effective leadership is the ability to communicate with purpose in such a way that gives life to ideas and accomplishes organizational objectives. God’s message of grace to humanity was the Word, his Son Jesus Christ. God’s mode of communication is an example to us. As “The Word became flesh”—a living reality testifying of God’s grace—so must our communication have purpose and fulfillment. Because of its emphasis on building relationships through the communication process, leader–member exchange (LMX) theory provides a valid framework that describes how God demonstrated leadership and facilitated reconciliation with humanity through the Word. An exegetical analysis of John 1:1–18 considering LMX theory offered seven principles of effective communication. Full article

Given the rising workloads and increased risks of burnout across various industries, enhancing employee resilience and well-being has become increasingly important. This study investigates the impact of positive leadership styles—servant, authentic, and transformational leadership—on psychological resilience and burnout levels. While prior research has examined the isolated relationships between leadership, resilience, and burnout, few studies have analyzed these variables collectively within an integrated theoretical framework. To address this gap, the present study integrates insights from the Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) theory, the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model to provide a comprehensive perspective. Data were collected from 387 private school teachers in Turkiye. Statistical analyses were conducted using PROCESS Macro (Model 4), assessing both direct and mediating effects. The findings reveal that all three leadership styles enhance psychological resilience and mitigate burnout. Furthermore, psychological resilience partially mediates the relationship between positive leadership styles and burnout. These results contribute to the literature by demonstrating how positive leadership can buffer against burnout through resilience, emphasizing the need for context-specific research in the field. This study also offers practical implications for managers seeking to foster supportive work environments. Full article

The health of primary care professionals is crucial for the health of populations. A lower number of general practitioners per 1000 patients correlates with higher patient mortality. Challenging work demands, work–privacy conflict, and poor leadership quality are associated with higher perceived chronic stress and/or burnout in physician populations. However, studies investigating the influence of all three factors in a single quantitative model are lacking. This study analysed the associations between the mentioned parameters and perceived chronic stress among general practice personnel based on baseline data of the cluster-randomized IMPROVEjob study. It comprised 60 German general practices with 366 participants (84 general practice leaders, 28 employed physicians, 254 practice assistants). Perceived chronic stress (TICS-SSCS), leadership quality (LMX-7, FIF), work–privacy conflict (COPSOQ), and quantitative and emotional work demands (COPSOQ) were measured with validated questionnaires. The factors associated with lower perceived chronic stress were identified using a multilevel regression model approach. The model showed a significant association with less work–privacy conflict (p < 0.001, β = 0.31), lower quantitative work demands (p < 0.001, β = 0.28), and good leadership quality (p < 0.001, β = −0.22). Especially transformational leadership with the dimension ‘innovation of the leader’ was associated with lower perceived chronic stress. The data support the importance of high-quality leadership as a protective factor for perceived chronic stress among general practice personnel, which needs to be considered in future leadership interventions in this setting. Full article

Background/Objectives: Understanding how work environments affect nurses’ turnover intentions is crucial for improving retention and organizational stability. Research on factors influencing nursing turnover intentions in Italy is limited despite its significant impact on healthcare sustainability today. Aim: This study aims to identify the individual, interpersonal, and job-related factors influencing quit intentions among nurses, examining the mediating role of job satisfaction. Methods: Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET), this cross-sectional study applied structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse theoretical relationships. Researchers collected data between August 2022 and December 2023 via an online survey sent to nurses in different settings across Italy. This study tested a hypothesised mediation model using SEM analysis, demonstrating good fit indices. Results: A total of 1745 nurses responded. The findings reveal that high job demands—physical, mental, and emotional workloads—were significantly associated with increased dissatisfaction and quit intentions. Conversely, job resources, including decision-making autonomy, inspiring leadership, and positive leader–member exchanges, were linked to greater job satisfaction and retention. Contrary to expectations, work satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between job demands/resources and turnover intentions. This could be explained by the strong direct effect of job satisfaction on turnover intentions. Additionally, younger nurses were more likely to report higher turnover intentions. Conclusions: Identifying potential quitters at an early stage is essential for the sustainability of healthcare organizations. Understanding the factors contributing to nurse turnover is crucial for developing effective retention strategies. This study emphasizes the need for healthcare organizations to prioritize supportive work environments to enhance nurse job resources, well-being, and retention. Full article

Emotional contagion is a common phenomenon among hotel employees, creating an environment of shared emotions that can influence work-related outcomes such as job performance, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being. However, strategies to mitigate or regulate its effects in hotels remain underexplored. This quantitative study used the PLS-SEM data analysis approach to examine the influence of emotional contagion on these outcomes and explores how psychological resilience and leader–member exchange (LMX) can moderate its impact. Specifically, this study examines (1) the direct influence of emotional contagion on job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological well-being; (2) the mediating role of psychological well-being in the links between emotional contagion and both job performance and job satisfaction; and (3) the moderating roles of LMX and psychological resilience on the relationships between emotional contagion, psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and job performance. Drawing upon social and emotional resource theories, this study employs a quantitative approach and uses a structured questionnaire survey administered among frontline employees in hotels in Egypt. Based on the valid responses of 792 participants, the study employed the PLS-SEM data analysis method using Smart PLS 4.0. The findings reveal that emotional contagion significantly directly impacts workplace outcomes and through psychological well-being. Furthermore, high-quality LMX and greater psychological resilience buffer the negative effects of emotional contagion, underscoring their critical roles in the workplace. The study contributes to the organizational behavior literature by highlighting the interplay between emotional and psychological factors in shaping employee performance and satisfaction. Full article

Background/Objectives: High nurse turnover has economic implications for healthcare organizations and impacts the quality of care. Individual, job-related, and organizational factors determine nurse turnover. This study, thus, aimed to investigate the impact of nurses’ resilience and the quality of the relationship between staff nurses and nurse managers, defined as leader–member exchange (LMX), on actual nurse turnover. Methods: A prospective study was conducted from June to July 2022, targeting nurses from three advanced treatment hospitals in Japan. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire investigating the participants’ actual turnover in April 2023. The data of 1130 nurses were analyzed in this study. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed using actual turnover as the dependent variable and nurse resilience and LMX as independent variables. Results: The results revealed that while LMX influenced actual turnover, nurse resilience had no statistically significant relationship with turnover. Conclusions: The findings show that LMX needs to be improved if actual turnover is to be curbed. Full article

Ventilatory drive is modulated by a variety of neurochemical inputs that converge on spatially oriented clusters of cells within the brainstem. This regulation is required to maintain energy homeostasis and is essential to sustain life across all mammalian organisms. Therefore, the anatomical orientation of these cellular clusters during development must have a defined mechanistic basis with redundant genomic variants. Failure to completely develop these features causes several conditions including apnea of prematurity (AOP) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). AOP is associated with many adverse outcomes including increased risk of interventricular hemorrhage. However, there are no pharmacological interventions that reduce SIDS and AOP prevalence by promoting brainstem development. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a kinase that regulates ventilatory control to maintain homeostasis. This study identifies a signaling axis in which the pharmacological activation of AMPK in vivo via metformin in brainstem ventilatory control centers results in the phosphorylation of LIM homeobox transcription factor 1-beta (Lmx1b), a key player in dorsal–ventral patterning during fetal development. The phosphorylation of Lmx1b transactivates a neurogenic interactome important for the development and regulation of ventilatory control centers. These findings highlight the potential for metformin in the treatment and prevention of AOP. Full article

In the context of the New Normal and the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) era, organisations face adjustments to the changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the shifting to new work modes and configurations with their consequences on employees’ wellbeing, in terms of exhaustion, resignation, and quitting tendencies. This study, rooted in the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, employs a primary prevention perspective to examine a relational factor, the leader–member exchange (LMX), which might shield employees from exhaustion and turnover intention. Specifically, we propose a double-chained mediation model to investigate how high-quality LMX fosters a positive adjustment to employees’ specific work modes, in-person or hybrid work, subsequently reducing employees’ feelings of exhaustion and their intentions to leave the organisation. A convenience sample of 257 Italian employees participated in this study by completing an online self-report survey. Hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro in SPSS 25.0 (Model 6). The results indicate that positive LMX and adjustment to the work mode reduce exhaustion and turnover intention; furthermore, they highlight the existence of a more complex dynamic linking LMX to turnover intention through a double-chained mediation of adjustment to the work mode and exhaustion. Indeed, higher LMX quality favours adjustment to the work mode, decreasing employees’ feelings of exhaustion and, in turn, their turnover intention. Specifically, the findings of this study add a novel contribution to the literature on the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development by emphasising the significance of positive LMX in becoming a factor of wellbeing and sustainability in the workplace through the promotion of the adjustment to both in-person and hybrid work modes. Organisations may benefit of this approach to LMX that, through the consideration of employees’ needs, may favour their adjustment to different work modes, thus becoming a sustainable LMX, and a promoter of employees’ wellbeing and retention. Full article

Obtaining high-resolution 3D structures of membrane proteins through X-ray crystallography remains a longstanding bottleneck in the field of structural biology. This challenge has led to the optimization of purification methods to acquire high-yielding, pure proteins suitable for crystallization. In this study, we performed crystallization screenings of purified human α4β2 nAChR using a polarized in meso method. After reconstituting the detergent-solubilized α4β2 nAChR into the LCP matrix, the samples were incubated in a polarized lipid matrix using the RMP@LMx device developed in our laboratory. The results showed that under these conditions, the α4β2-nAChR-LFC 16 complex gave a mobile fraction >0.8, suggesting that its diffusion in the polarized lipid matrix is favorable for crystal nucleation. Voltages above 70 mV restricted crystal formation due to sample dehydration. Furthermore, a lipid analysis using UPLC-ESI MS/MS revealed a profile necessary for preserving protein integrity and promoting diffusion across the LCP. We harvested a single crystal and subjected it to X-ray diffraction, resulting in reflections comparable to previous studies of the muscle-type nAChR from Torpedo californica. X-ray diffraction of a single crystal gave distinct low-resolution diffractions of protein nature. These findings lay the groundwork for further optimization of membrane protein crystallization in polarized in meso phases. Full article

Knowledge sharing is influenced not only by the attributes of the knowledge itself and the hierarchical differences among knowledge holders but also by micro-level factors such as interpersonal communication and psychological dynamics. As the demands of the new economic environment evolve, the role of knowledge sharing among team members in knowledge management has become increasingly critical. A growing body of research emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge resources as a means of gaining strategic advantages in enterprises. Previous studies have shown that leadership behavior plays a crucial role in fostering knowledge sharing among team members. However, there is limited research on the specific pathways and mechanisms through which leadership behavior influences knowledge sharing. Additionally, existing research lacks a comprehensive examination of the structure and measurement methods of leader–member exchange (LMX), as well as its impact on employee work outcomes. This study addresses this gap by examining trust relationships through the lenses of social identity and emotional interaction, with trust serving as a mediating variable to explore the impact of leader–subordinate interactions on knowledge sharing behavior. Drawing on the relevant literature, the study focuses on 358 employees, investigating the relationship between LMX as the independent variable, team knowledge sharing as the dependent variable, and employee trust as the mediating factor. The research findings are as follows: (1) The quality of the LMX relationship significantly influences employees’ team knowledge sharing; higher-quality LMX relationships are associated with increased knowledge sharing among subordinates. (2) Employee trust in both leaders and colleagues has a substantial impact on team knowledge sharing, with higher levels of trust positively affecting knowledge sharing behaviors. (3) Employee trust serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between LMX and team knowledge sharing. This study delves into the dynamics between LMX, team knowledge sharing, and trust, providing practical recommendations for strengthening these relationships. Full article