Massey Documents by Type
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Item Exploring disputed acts of bullying: A study of manager perceptions in New Zealand(Cambridge University Press in association with Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, 2025-07-07) Tootell B; Croucher S; Cullinane J; Ashwell D; Ratten VWorkplace bullying is a persistent issue despite extensive research, with most studies focusing on targets rather than managerial perspectives. This study explores how New Zealand managers conceptualize workplace bullying, shedding light on cultural and organizational influences. While bullying affects roughly one in 10 New Zealand workers, definitions remain inconsistent, complicating prevention and response efforts. This research investigates whether managers distinguish bullying from other forms of conflict and aggression, and how their views align with regulatory definitions such as those from WorkSafe New Zealand. A randomized Qualtrics panel of 316 managers completed an anonymous online survey, including open-ended questions. Responses were analysed using six-phase thematic analysis, enabling candid reflection and rich insights into bullying behaviours, impacts, and organizational dynamics. The findings highlight the importance of understanding bullying within its communication context and suggest that clearer, less stigmatized definitions may support more effective reporting and intervention by managers.Item An Integrative Approach to the Prediction of Argumentativeness(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Southern States Communication Association, 2025-05-29) Croucher SM; Kelly S; Separa LA; Yotes TS; Zhou Z; Singh R; Ashwell D; Condon SMThis study explored the extent to which demographics (age and level of education), the “Big Three,” (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism), cognitive dispositions (locus of control and resilience), and social personal dispositions (Machiavellianism) combine to predict argumentativeness. Based on a representative sample of 877 participants from the United States, the results revealed that when taken together, previously established effects of some of these variables on attitude toward arguing are verified, although some are not consistent. Level of education and locus of control did not affect attitude toward approaching an argument as in the previous research. Implications for future research are discussed, with an emphasis on future research taking a more comprehensive approach to the study of communication.Item COVID-19 fear and ethnocentrism in the global south: A cross-cultural analysis(Elsevier Ltd, 2025-03-01) Croucher SM; Ashwell D; Dutta M; Cullinane J; Condon S; Spencer AThis study explored the extent to which fear of COVID-19 was related to ethnocentrism in 10 Global South nations: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa, and Singapore. Based on a representative sample of 2963 participants, results revealed ethnocentrism and fear of COVID-19 are positively correlated. In addition, there was a significant difference in ethnocentrism and fear of COVID-19 based on nation and sex. Theoretical implications and future research are discussed, with an emphasis on how the presence of a contagion, a virus, influences intercultural and intergroup dynamics, prejudice, and ethnocentrism.Item Conflict styles within individualistic, low power distance, and low context nations: a four nation comparison(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-08-29) Croucher SM; Kelly S; Ashwell D; Condon SMThis study compared conflict styles approaches of four nations with similar cultural dimensions. Prior literature assumes similar cultural dimensions produce similar approaches to conflict. Four nations were examined: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Results reveal the conflict approaches of individuals from these nations differ despite similar cultural dimensions. In addition, the four nations scored relatively high on solution-oriented approaches to conflict (integrating and compromising). This is the first study to compare conflict styles across traditionally individualistic, low-context, independent self-construal, and low power distance nations.Item Cross-cultural measurement validation: an analysis of dissent, workplace freedom of speech, and perceived immediacy(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-03-12) Croucher SM; Kelly S; Ashwell D; Condon S; Tootell BCroucher and Kelly (2019) laid out guidelines to develop measures that can be used across cultures. The present study provides support for their guidelines, indicating that pancultural measurements cannot be behavioral and should not include unnecessary contexts; however, they should be worded as simplistically as possible. This study utilizes measures of dissent, perceived immediacy, and workplace freedom of speech in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Only the perceived immediacy measure, which follows Croucher and Kelly’s (2019) guidelines, maintained internal consistency.Item Organizational Commitment and Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis in the United States and New Zealand(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the World Communication Association, 2024-06-17) Croucher SM; Rocker K; Singh R; Feekery A; Ashwell D; Green M; Murray N; Anderson KThis study examined the link between organizational commitment (OC) and burnout during COVID-19 in New Zealand and the United States. Results revealed OC and burnout differed between the U.S. and New Zealand. In addition, the correlations between OC and the dimensions of burnout differed between the nations, particularly on issues linked with emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. These results point to the influence of lockdowns and other physical limitations on burnout and commitment in organizations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as areas for future research.Item A comparison of the relationship between extraversion and argumentativeness in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-03-12) Croucher SM; Yotes T; Ashwell D; Condon SMThe association between argumentativeness and extraversion, while well established in the United States, has not been examined cross-culturally. Therefore, this study conducts a cross-cultural comparison of this association with nationally representative samples from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. The results confirm previous research in the U.S. and showed U.S. participants scored highest on tendency to approach arguments and extraversion, and lowest on tendency to avoid arguments, while New Zealanders scored the lowest on tendency to approach arguments and extraversion. These results expand our understanding of argumentativeness, illustrating the positive association between argumentativeness and extraversion is not a uniquely U.S. phenomenon, and expanding our understanding of argumentativeness to the Canadian context. The differences found between countries suggest future research explore how other factors might explain these differences.Item COVID-19 Prejudice Towards Afro-Brazilians(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the World Communication Association, 2022-04) Croucher S; Nguyen T; Ashwell D; Spencer A; Permyakova T; Gomez OAs of May 2021, more than 14.7 million people have been infected and nearly 409,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil. During the pandemic, there were countless cases of discrimination, racism, prejudice, and violence towards Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian population. Using integrated threat theory (ITT), this study investigates prejudice towards Afro-Brazilians. Specifically, this study (n= 410) examines the extent to which COVID-19 related prejudice towards Afro-Brazilians, who were partially blamed for the spread of the virus, is related to prejudice and fear of COVID-19. Results reveal the following: ethnocentrism is positively related to symbolic and realistic threat and fear of COVID-19 is positively related to symbolic and realistic threat.Item Redundancy with dignity – Give it to me straight(ER Publishing Ltd, 2023-09-01) Macpherson W; Ashwell DIn times of crisis, organisations implement cost-cutting measures, including retrenchment. Research on employee redundancy often focuses on the processes performed by organisations. This paper, however, reports on the expectations of New Zealand and Australian employees (n=613) during the later stages of the pandemic-lockdown environment, circa late 2021, regarding their organisation’s messaging of imminent redundancy. Employees in both countries indicated that they seek dignity and directness, and to be told face-to-face by their immediate line manager, senior line manager, or CEO that they are being “made redundant”. Interestingly, being told by Human Resources personnel was a least favoured option. This research informs organisations of their organisational justice and corporate social responsibilities in times of retrenchment.Item A Longitudinal Analysis of Handwashing and Mask-Wearing during COVID-19(Frontiers Media, 29/06/2021) Croucher S; Ashwell D; Murray N; Condon SM; Fletcher PThe COVID-19 pandemic has seen health preventive behaviors to prevent spread of the virus become highly politicized in the United States. A clear division exists between Democrats favoring health preventive measures and Republicans often defying such measures. Amid increasing fear of the virus, the 2020 United States presidential election became central to how the pandemic should be managed. This longitudinal study examines whether the frequency of handwashing and mask-wearing changed after the United States election. The study further explores whether political partisanship played a part in the change. Results show that handwashing and mask-wearing increased among Democrats after the election. However, Republican’s use of masks and handwashing decreased. These results are explained in terms of loyalty to outgoing President Trump among Republicans and renewed feelings of efficacy among Democrats.
