A. Waikar, K. Lee and M. Blalock
Several industrial tasks and workplaces involve sedentary work and/or constrained postures which impart static loads on the neck, back, shoulders and upper extremities. Examples…
Abstract
Several industrial tasks and workplaces involve sedentary work and/or constrained postures which impart static loads on the neck, back, shoulders and upper extremities. Examples of such tasks are jobs involving bending; holding loads or tools; operations which require arms to be lifted; prolonged standing or sitting; bending the head strongly downwards or upwards; and lifting the shoulders (Grandjean, 1983). These loads in turn cause musculoskeletal (physical) stress on the worker's body, which can be excessive and can result in discomfort and pain (Torner et al., 1991). In recent years, an increasing concern has emerged about such excessive musculoskeletal stress in workplaces (Grandjean et al., 1982; Ostberg and Moss, 1984). This concern has led to research in this area and subsequent recommendations for improving work stations to reduce or alleviate musculoskeletal stress. Other techniques such as using physical exercises — specifically muscular relaxation and stretching — may also be helpful in achieving this goal. It is expected that minimising this stress would result in better morale, reduced injuries and discomfort, lower absenteeism and turnover, and reduced errors, thus leading to better productivity in industry.
Avinash M. Waikar and Martha E. Bradshaw
Discusses musculoskeletal stress as a result of sedentary work,which has been and still is a problem in workplaces. Simple, quickexercises may be a low‐cost solution to this…
Abstract
Discusses musculoskeletal stress as a result of sedentary work, which has been and still is a problem in workplaces. Simple, quick exercises may be a low‐cost solution to this problem. Provides an account of an investigation, the aim of which was to determine employees′ preference about and the status of such exercise programmes in local businesses. A questionnaire was administered to 203 employees engaged in sedentary work in 21 south‐east Louisiana businesses. The results show that many office, managerial and technical employees suffer musculoskeletal discomfort and pain and that they are interested in relieving this discomfort by participating in an exercise programme. Very few of their companies, however, provide formal exercise programmes. Regarding establishing an exercise programme, respondents indicated preference for exercises targeted on specific parts of the body and do not desire to be prompted by computer software.
Details
Keywords
Inês Lopes Santos and Dina Miragaia
Most adults do not follow the minimum requirements for physical activity despite the benefits such activity can provide toward improving quality of life. On average, an adult…
Abstract
Purpose
Most adults do not follow the minimum requirements for physical activity despite the benefits such activity can provide toward improving quality of life. On average, an adult spends 60% of daily hours in the workplace, making it essential to create working environments that are favorable to avoiding harmful effects on the health of workers. Toward this end, the application of physical activity programs in a work context is one of the possible interventions. This study aims to carry out a systematic review of the literature to identify the impact of physical activity programs applied in the workplace, on employee wellness and organizational productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
The search for reports was carried out in two databases, namely, Thomson Reuters Web of Science and Scopus, according to several inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) was applied to ensure the quality of the study. Microsoft Excel 2016 was used to organize the database to support the data analysis.
Findings
The sample comprised 64 reports published in international journals between 1986 and 2019. From these studies, six thematic clusters were formed: Workplace Physical Activity Interventions, Workplace Wellness, Physical Activity and Organizational Performance, Barriers to Developing Physical Activity Programs in the Workplace, Physical Activity and Sedentary Occupations and Workplace Physical Activity Incentives. The analysis of these clusters confirmed that the implementation of physical activity programs in this context could represent beneficial effects for workers and the organizational system by contributing to a reduction in the rates of absenteeism and presenteeism. However, there are still many organizations that do not implement such programs.
Originality/value
The results of this study are essential for managers of organizations to be able to implement physical activity programs in a work context, similarly to the application of a strategy of corporate social responsibility in an intra-organizational environment. This research may also be useful for professionals in the areas of sports and physical exercise, who want to build their business around physical exercise programs applied to a work context.
Details
Keywords
In late 2011, Jerry Bertram, vice president and general manager of the fire retardant additives business of Huber Engineered Materials (HEM), a division of family-owned J. M…
Abstract
In late 2011, Jerry Bertram, vice president and general manager of the fire retardant additives business of Huber Engineered Materials (HEM), a division of family-owned J. M. Huber Corporation, was preparing to present the potential acquisition of the precipitated alumina trihydrate (PATH) business to the environment, health, and safety committee of Huber's corporate board. He had convinced HEM's leadership of PATH's strategic value to their business and the urgency of the acquisition based on PATH's parent company's movement into Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its plans to close the PATH plant.
Winning board approval posed a major challenge. It was unclear whether the plant would remain operational, because HEM would have to enter a shared-services arrangement with PATH's parent company, which continued to use the site. In addition, acquiring PATH would mean integrating its specialized, unionized labor force into Huber, which had very few union workers. Finally, early due diligence had revealed tens of millions of dollars of potential environmental risk on the site. The last issue was particularly critical, given Huber's generations-long history of respect for the environment, and its executives' and directors' reluctance to take on any business with excessive environmental risk.
This case illustrates in depth the family business values that can promote consideration of an ostensibly unconventional and risky strategic move, and enable executives to push for approval of the same, as backed by comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation plans.
Details

Keywords
John L. Ward and Ashley E. Luse
After decades of continuity, Luse Holdings faced a new challenge in 2015. The company needed to pivot in a changing industry context—specifically, Luse had lost a bid to a…
Abstract
After decades of continuity, Luse Holdings faced a new challenge in 2015. The company needed to pivot in a changing industry context—specifically, Luse had lost a bid to a non-union competitor for the first time—and CEO and fourth-generation member Steve Luse was considering three primary options: (1) continue as is, while also adding non-union services; (2) sell part of the business to reduce family risk; or (3) sell the entire business to fund other family interests. A fourth possible option was a maximization-of-growth alternative.
This decision involved more than business considerations alone. The family's legacy as an industry champion and community philanthropist also required considering all relevant stakeholders, including immediate and extended family, employees, and community. Complicating the situation was the lack of an immediately identifiable successor in the next generation of the Luse family, though several fifth-generation members had completed internships with the business including Steve's daughter Ashley, a recent MBA graduate. Students will step into Steve's shoes as he considers what recommendations to make to the advisory board six months from now. Students can also take the perspective of Ashley, a rising next-generation member: should she join the family business?
Details

Keywords
In mid-2013, the Lee family, which owned the Hong Kong based food and health product giant Lee Kum Kee (LKK), struggled with how best to increase involvement of the fifth…
Abstract
In mid-2013, the Lee family, which owned the Hong Kong based food and health product giant Lee Kum Kee (LKK), struggled with how best to increase involvement of the fifth generation (G5), the children of the company's current fourth-generation (G4) senior executives and governance leaders. Only two of the fourteen G5 members had joined the company, and few had expressed interest in further involvement, including in the multiple learning and development programs the business offered, such as a mentoring program. Many of the G5 cousins had expressed little interest in business careers in general, and none of them currently was serving as an LKK intern. G4 members observed that their children were busy with family obligations, hobbies, and emerging careers outside the business. G5's lack of interest in business and governance roles was part of a growing pattern of low family engagement in general, exhibited by the cancellation of recent family retreats (once an annual tradition) because of apathy and some underlying conflict. A history of splits among past generations of the Lee family regarding business leadership made the engagement issue even more meaningful and critical.
Students will consider the challenge from the point of view of G4 family members David Lee, chairman of the family's Family Office, and his sister, Elizabeth Mok, who ran the Family Learning and Development Center. They and their three siblings saw engaging the next generation as a top priority, one related to key concepts including family-business continuity, generational engagement and empowerment, succession, emotional ownership, and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation.
Details

Keywords
Michael Chikeleze, Iris Johnson and Trey Gibson
Some employers contend that the college graduates they hire should have stronger communication and critical thinking skills upon arrival from their various college/university…
Abstract
Some employers contend that the college graduates they hire should have stronger communication and critical thinking skills upon arrival from their various college/university programs in which they majored. As higher education continues its efforts to meet the demands for employers, the authors contend that the benefits of participation in debate exercises can be incorporated into various courses as a teaching tool to increase facility with these soft skills. A practical application of debate in a specific organizational leadership course is presented, along with highlights of the student participants’ reflections upon the experience, and the initial signs of positive impact on these skills. Suggestions of future application of debate into curricula are also shared.
Lindsay Hastings, Hannah Sunderman and Nick Knopik
The purpose of the current application paper is to integrate previous literature with recent results from practitioners on effective practices for utilizing small groups in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the current application paper is to integrate previous literature with recent results from practitioners on effective practices for utilizing small groups in the leadership classroom.
Design/methodology/approach
We use these integrated findings to innovate practice on maximizing the role of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) by matching their tasks to signature pedagogies in leadership education.
Findings
The integrated findings revealed three practice themes: (1) match UTAs to pedagogical approach, (2) create small groups by design and (3) providing training and reflection practice for UTAs.
Originality/value
In sum, leadership education can and should challenge historical practices in higher education whereby UTAs are used purely for grading and course logistics management.
Details
Keywords
Goh Chia Yee, Chin Jeng Feng, Mohd Azizi Bin Chik and Mohzani Mokhtar
This research proposes weighted grey relational analysis (WGRA) method to evaluate the performance of 325 multilevel dispatching rules in the wafer fabrication process.
Abstract
Purpose
This research proposes weighted grey relational analysis (WGRA) method to evaluate the performance of 325 multilevel dispatching rules in the wafer fabrication process.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology involves multilevel dispatching rule generation, simulations, WGRA and result analysis. A complete permutation of multilevel dispatching rules, including the partial orders, is generated from five basic rules. Performance measures include cycle time, move, tool idling and queue time. The simulation model and data are obtained from a wafer fab in Malaysia. Two seasons varying in customer orders and objective weights are defined. Finally, to benchmark performance and investigate the effect of varying values of coefficient, the models are compared against TOPSIS and VIKOR.
Findings
Results show that the seasons prefer different multilevel dispatching rules. In Normal season, the ideal first basic dispatching rule is critical ratio (CR) and CR followed by shortest processing time (SPT) is the best precedence pairing. In Peak season, the superiority of the rule no longer heavily relies on the first basic rule but rather depends on the combination of tiebreaker rules and on-time delivery (OTD) followed by CR is considered the best precedence pairing. Compared to VIKOR and TOPSIS, WGRA generates more stable rankings in this study. The performance of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods is influenced by the data variability, as a higher variability produces a much consistent ranking.
Research limitations/implications
As research implications, the application illustrates the effectiveness and practicality of the WGRA model in analyzing multilevel dispatching rules, considering the complexity of the semiconductor wafer fabrication system. The methodology is useful for researchers wishing to integrate MCDM model into multilevel dispatching rules. The limitation of the research is that the results were obtained from a simulation model. Also, the rules, criteria and weights assigned in WGRA were decided by the management. Lastly, the distinguishing coefficient is fixed at 0.5 and the effect to the ranking requires further study.
Originality/value
The research is the first deployment WGRA in ranking multilevel dispatching rules. Multilevel dispatching rules are rarely studied in scheduling research although studies show that the tiebreakers affect the performances of the dispatching rules. The scheduling reflects the characteristics of wafer fabrication and general job shop, such as threshold and look-ahead policies.
Details
Keywords
Talat Islam, Arooba Chaudhary and Hafiz Fawad Ali
This study aims to investigate how despotic leadership affects employee well-being through bullying behavior. The study further investigates emotional intelligence as a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how despotic leadership affects employee well-being through bullying behavior. The study further investigates emotional intelligence as a conditional variable on the association between bullying behavior and employee well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
The data from 257 nurses and their immediate supervisors (dyads) were collected on convenience basis using a cross-sectional design. Further, structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The study noted that despotic leadership negatively affects employee well-being. Specifically, despotic leaders were noted to trigger employees’ bullying behavior that ultimately diminish their well-being. The study noted emotional intelligence as a conditional variable such that individuals with high emotional intelligence are more likely to buffer the negative association between bullying behavior and employee well-being.
Research limitations/implications
This study highlights the importance of employee well-being and suggests the management focus on their leadership style. Further, the study suggests to Human Resource practitioners the importance of personality traits (emotional intelligence) at the time of recruitment, as it serves as a coping strategy to diminish employee well-being.
Originality/value
Drawing upon the conservation of resources, this study shed light on the mediating role of bullying behavior between negative leadership (despotic) and well-being. In addition, emotional intelligence has not been examined as a conditional variable between bullying behavior and employee well-being.