Ioannis Nikolaou and Ioannis Tsaousis
The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and sources of occupational stress and outcomes on a sample of professionals in…
Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and sources of occupational stress and outcomes on a sample of professionals in mental health institutions. A total of 212 participants were administered the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire as well as the Organizational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), a new organizational screening tool, which measures workplace stress. The results were in the expected direction showing a negative correlation between emotional intelligence and stress at work, indicating that high scorers in overall EI suffered less stress related to occupational environment. A positive correlation was also found between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment, which according to the ASSET model is considered as a consequence of stress, suggesting a new role for EI as a determinant of employee loyalty to organizations. Finally, the relationship between EI, job stress, and various demographic variables such as gender, age, and education was investigated and results are discussed in the light of the organizational framework.
Natalia Weisz, Roberto S. Vassolo, Luiz Mesquita and Arnold C. Cooper
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of team member diversity and internal social capital on project performance within the context of business plan competitions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of team member diversity and internal social capital on project performance within the context of business plan competitions (BPCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses survey data on 95 nascent entrepreneurial teams enrolled in an open‐to‐the‐public BPCs. It assumes that higher levels of functional diversity as well as higher levels of internal social capital enhance the performance of nascent entrepreneurial teams in the crafting of their business plans (BPs).
Findings
Under this particular context, where the needs for information processing and decision‐making requirements are so high, teams having higher levels of functional diversity attained better performance. Inversely, teams with higher levels of internal social capital did not show a significant advantage in the development of the BP.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations are associated with the exclusion of external social capital measures and not considering demographic faultlines, which might have some impact on the results. Besides, this paper has the limitation of basing its analysis upon teams within a BP contest. Theoretical implications stress that under contexts maximizing the difference between potential upside gains and downside losses, team diversity is expected to play a larger role for BP effectiveness and success than team members' internal social capital.
Practical implications
Recognizing team prevalence and the impact of social dynamics amongst team members within entrepreneurial settings.
Originality/value
The paper contributes with the impact of social dynamic processes on nascent entrepreneurial teams.
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Susan Holmes and Douglas Maclnnes
It is often assumed that prison staff are particularly stressed due to their frequent exposure to traumatic events, which may damage not only individuals but also prisons and…
Abstract
It is often assumed that prison staff are particularly stressed due to their frequent exposure to traumatic events, which may damage not only individuals but also prisons and prisoners. While the impact of such stress may be recognised, the factors contributing to its development are unclear.The work reported here is part of a larger investigation of health care provision in a Greater London prison. Qualitative approaches were used to access the understandings of staff and key informants of the difficulties associated with their working environment. This enabled us to accommodate different working contexts, ensuring that the findings were grounded in the reality of the work undertaken by the participants.The data revealed that lack of training contributed significantly to the development of stress, reducing confidence in dealing with the many traumatic situations encountered. However, interpersonal relationships provided mutual support during crises. General working conditions, including workload and staff redeployment, were also important contributors to high levels of sickness‐absence which, in turn, exacerbated stress. Poor management practices, combined with a perceived lack of support, further aggravated stress.While it may be tempting to blame individuals for their inability to cope, all organisations have a duty of care to their employees and must take steps, at both the individual and organisational level, to prevent and manage work‐related stress.
Chris Stagg, John Saunders and Veronica Wong
Past research into new product screening criteria have largely centered on industrial new products. This study investigates the criteria that managers use for screening and…
Abstract
Past research into new product screening criteria have largely centered on industrial new products. This study investigates the criteria that managers use for screening and evaluating new grocery products or brands. Theory suggests that the branding, promotional, and trade needs of grocery brands mean that screening criteria for grocery product development will differ from those applied to industrial goods. Our methodology departs from earlier research in gathering information on the accept/reject criteria during new product development rather than examining the reasons for success and failure after launch. The results endorse many findings from the extant literature on new product development. However, we highlight a set of factors that new product managers regard as important to the go/no‐go decision in new grocery product or brand development that differs significantly from previous studies. From a research perspective, our study findings make an important contribution to the field by developing measurement scales for addressing NPD in the grocery sector.
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Maria Vakola and Ioannis Nikolaou
Occupational stress and organizational change are now widely accepted as two major issues in organizational life. The current study explores the linkage between employees’…
Abstract
Purpose
Occupational stress and organizational change are now widely accepted as two major issues in organizational life. The current study explores the linkage between employees’ attitudes towards organizational change and two of the most significant constructs in organizational behaviour; occupational stress and organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 292 participants completed ASSET, a new “Organizational Screening Tool”, which, among other things, measures workplace stress and organizational commitment and a measure assessing attitudes towards organizational change.
Findings
The results were in the expected direction showing negative correlations between occupational stressors and attitudes to change, indicating that highly stressed individuals demonstrate decreased commitment and increased reluctance to accept organizational change interventions. The most significant impact on attitudes to change was coming from bad work relationships emphasizing the importance of that occupational stressor on employees’ attitudes towards change. The results did not support the role of organizational commitment as a moderator in the relationship between occupational stress and attitudes to change.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of the research design could be that all measures originated from the same source resulting in possible contamination from common method variance. Further, the cross‐sectional research design adopted in the present study, as opposed to a longitudinal or experimental methodology, does not allow affirmative causal explanations.
Originality/value
The present study showed that good and effective work relationships are very important in organizational change. Handling conflicts, building supportive work relationships and communicating effectively all contribute to the formulation of positive attitudes to change and, therefore, to the success of a change programme. In addition, organizations need to examine the extra workload which organizational change may create. Increase in workload is not only easily attributable to the change but it also makes change unattractive and problematic leading to non‐supportive attitudes.
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Jenny Chapman is a practitioner, consultant and lecturer in vocational rehabilitation, and has extensive experience of rehabilitation, training and service management in Australia…
Abstract
Jenny Chapman is a practitioner, consultant and lecturer in vocational rehabilitation, and has extensive experience of rehabilitation, training and service management in Australia and the UK. Continuing our occasional series on lessons from other countries we asked Jenny to give an account of some aspects of a very successful programme in which she worked for a number of years. The Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) in Australia, where Jenny gained her experience in vocational rehabilitation, continue to provide effective ‘return to work’ programmes for disabled people. The use of methods such as workplace assessment is one reason why Australia is extremely successful in return to work and placement rates.
Hercules Powder. Liebmann Breweries. These companies, and over 250 others that appeared on the very first Fortune 500 list in 1955, have vanished from the front ranks of American…
Abstract
Hercules Powder. Liebmann Breweries. These companies, and over 250 others that appeared on the very first Fortune 500 list in 1955, have vanished from the front ranks of American industry. Why did so many fail to thrive? Is there an inevitable cycle of corporate growth, senescence, and morbidity? This is a salient question to pose three decades later. Why does the American corporate elite have such a lackluster record in perpetuating their preeminence? What accounts for the fact that companies with the wherewithal to hire the very best executive and technical talent available, and with the most money to invest in marketing, manufacturing, and R&D, have had so much trouble sustaining themselves at a lofty level?
Reveals that public sector organizations across the globe have been subject to cuts in government spending, allied to demands for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness…
Abstract
Reveals that public sector organizations across the globe have been subject to cuts in government spending, allied to demands for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness. Consequently many have embarked on radical programmes of change which may adversely affect the psychological wellbeing of employees. Examines linkages between organizational change and the psychological wellbeing of employees within the Swedish social insurance organization “Försäkringskassan”. Gives results which show that the process of organization change is stressful; issues associated with the process of change were linked to employee anxiety and symptoms of being “worn out”. As the pressures facing public sector organizations everywhere bear a high degree of similarity, suggests that management take cognizance of these findings. Argues that when making decisions regarding the planning and implementation of organizational change, the stress factor must receive a prominent place on the change management agenda.