The role of individual perceptions in the completion of formalistic tasks

Wenjun Wu and Dengke Yu ()
Additional contact information
Wenjun Wu: Nanchang University
Dengke Yu: Nanchang University

Palgrave Communications, 2023, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Formalistic tasks are common in collective cultural societies such as China. They bring a great loss of efficiency as well as some potential social benefits. The study aims to explore the perception mechanism of formalistic tasks at the individual level, helping understand and better manage them. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we proposed that individuals’ perceived value (PV), perceived cost (PC), and perceived pressure (PP) would significantly influence their participation in and completion of formalistic tasks. We therefore developed two studies: Study 1 explored how individuals perceive formalistic tasks, and Study 2 tested the effects of individual perceptions on the completion degree (CD) of formalistic tasks. We collected the data from 319 and 536 Chinese respondents by questionnaire survey for the two studies respectively. Statistical approach and structural equation model (SEM) were used to analyze the data. Through empirical studies, we substantiated the positive role of PV and PC in the completion of formalistic tasks. Furthermore, coercive pressure (CP) and normative pressure (NP), the two elements of PP, would significantly moderate the effect of PC on CD. However, the moderating effects are weak. Our study aroused scholars’ attention to formalistic tasks in organizations and filled the gap in formalistic management. Our findings therefore make a contribution to organization management in collective culture and guide managers to better develop and promote formalistic tasks.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-02251-3 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02251-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/palcomms/about

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02251-3

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Palgrave Communications from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().