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Peter Boxall, Meng-Long Huo, Keith Macky and Jonathan Winterton
High-involvement work processes (HIWPs) are associated with high levels of employee influence over the work process, such as high levels of control over how to handle individual…
Abstract
High-involvement work processes (HIWPs) are associated with high levels of employee influence over the work process, such as high levels of control over how to handle individual job tasks or a high level of involvement at team or workplace level in designing work procedures. When implementations of HIWPs are accompanied by companion investments in human capital – for example, in better information and training, higher pay and stronger employee voice – it is appropriate to talk not only of HIWPs but of “high-involvement work systems” (HIWSs). This chapter reviews the theory and practice of HIWPs and HIWSs. Across a range of academic perspectives and societies, it has regularly been argued that steps to enhance employee involvement in decision-making create better opportunities to perform, better utilization of skill and human potential, and better employee motivation, leading, in turn, to various improvements in organizational and employee outcomes.
However, there are also costs to increased employee involvement and the authors review the important economic and sociopolitical contingencies that help to explain the incidence or distribution of HIWPs and HIWSs. The authors also review the research on the outcomes of higher employee involvement for firms and workers, discuss the quality of the research methods used, and consider the tensions with which the model is associated. This chapter concludes with an outline of the research agenda, envisaging an ongoing role for both quantitative and qualitative studies. Without ignoring the difficulties involved, the authors argue, from the societal perspective, that the high-involvement pathway should be considered one of the most important vectors available to improve the quality of work and employee well-being.
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This paper aims to present an account of the history and recent cultural revival of the Acadians, one people flourishing in two geographically distinct regions of North America.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present an account of the history and recent cultural revival of the Acadians, one people flourishing in two geographically distinct regions of North America.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is a comparison and contrast structure utilizing secondary historical research sources.
Findings
Two different environments have given rise to a similar pattern of development, suppression, and rejuvenation of Acadian and Cajun culture in which apparent differences between the groups hide deeper correspondences, while lesser‐known parallels are more striking than more obvious similarities.
Research limitations/implications
While the particular case of Acadian and Cajun collaboration is unique, future research may compare this case to that of other cultural groups separated by geography and political systems.
Originality/value
This paper suggests that the Acadians and Cajuns are a unique case of two cultures with a single history achieving cultural autonomy first in tandem and finally in concert.
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Praseeda Menon and Nutankumar S. Thingujam
The purpose of this paper is to replicate the dispositional source of job satisfaction (JS) in a different cultural setting on the backdrop of the recession of 2008‐2009 and to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to replicate the dispositional source of job satisfaction (JS) in a different cultural setting on the backdrop of the recession of 2008‐2009 and to investigate the specific subjective job‐related aspects that influenced Indian IT professionals' overall evaluation of JS.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 221 IT employees. Pearson's correlation, partial correlation and stepwise regression analyses were used to test hypotheses.
Findings
Apart from confirming the dispositional source of JS, satisfaction with nature of work, as well as relations with one's supervisor, emerged as the most important situational contributors over and above that of personality factors during recession in the Indian IT sector.
Practical implications
As the personality factors of Neuroticism, Extraversion and Agreeableness showed a key role in JS of Indian software employees in adverse conditions, selection and recruitment of IT personnel should lay emphasis on these factors. Also, paying attention to making the nature of work more satisfying, as well as promoting positive relationships between team members and leaders could serve as a buffer during economic downturns in maintaining the JS of Indian IT employees.
Originality/value
Although previous studies have looked at how personality plays an essential role in JS, they have hardly looked at the person‐situation interaction with respect to type of industry and status of economy. The paper reveals that specific personality and job factors can matter more in a certain type of industry, particularly during a rough economic patch.
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Henry Lau, Dilupa Nakandala and Paul Kwok Shum
Frequent food safety incidents caused widespread consumer concerns. Even though food safety is one of the weakest links in the fresh food supply chain and influences consumer food…
Abstract
Purpose
Frequent food safety incidents caused widespread consumer concerns. Even though food safety is one of the weakest links in the fresh food supply chain and influences consumer food choice in ways different from the quality dimension, this factor is hardly proposed as one of the key traditional supplier selection criteria (e.g. quality, delivery, and price) in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to develop a business process decision model to assess the non-compensating food safety sub-criteria in order to disqualify fresh food suppliers that cannot reach the minimum threshold for low probable food safety failure. The preferred fresh food suppliers can minimize the risk of food safety failure and the associated huge food safety failure costs spanning from private consumer anguish to social distress that cause unbearable costs of sales loss and damage to brand image in business.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes a novel approach that combines several well-established multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques, including fuzzy AHP (FAHP), TOPSIS, and ELECTRE, and innovatively apply to analyze supplier performance and prioritize potential fresh food suppliers. This hybrid business process model can enforce compliance to all the five non-compensatory sub-criteria of food safety. Since ELECTRE is a non-compensatory MCDM method, it is therefore particularly applicable for disqualifying high risk fresh food suppliers from further full scale supplier performance evaluation by FAHP and TOPSIS. This hybrid business process decision model is able to capitalize on the strengths of these MCDM methods and offset their deficiencies.
Findings
This study uses data of an international supermarket chain to validate feasibility of the proposed model. Results indicate that this model is able to assess the non-compensating food safety sub-criteria via the ELECTRE method in order to disqualify fresh food suppliers that cannot reach the minimum threshold for low probable food safety failure. Only the preferred suppliers with the required food safety capability can proceed to the second stage of the supplier selection process. Assessment via the TOPSIS method reveals the ranking order of those top performing suppliers according to their relative scores along all the supplier selection criteria. The TOPSIS ranking results with the selection of the suppliers C, E, A, and F are robust and consistent across all the different scenarios.
Practical implications
Application to the fresh food industry is possible with the aid of the MCDM methods. The contribution to the body of knowledge in this teaching and research field demonstrates the importance of first identifying the order qualifier for disqualifying those suppliers that do not satisfy the food safety requirements via the ELECTRE method. The proposed assessment procedure complies with the regulatory policy on food safety, and would influence public policy in applying the best practice of food safety regulation. Without first qualifying the potential suppliers on the basis of food safety, wrong decision can be made to select those high food risk suppliers that have relatively higher overall scores in other supplier selection criteria. Using the assessment results has positive economic and commercial impact on the purchasing managers to formulate appropriate purchasing and supplier development strategy to enhance supplier’s food safety performance, whilst maximizing the overall supplier portfolio performance. The improved supplier’s food safety performance will certainly benefit the society’s quality of life as well.
Originality/value
Based on the analytical MCDM methods of FAHP, TOPSIS, and ELECTRE, purchasing managers can operationalize the Hill’s framework of order qualifier and winner that has primarily been used in the literature and manufacturing industry. This study represents the first move to innovatively apply the FAHP, TOPSIS, and ELECTRE methods to operationalize the Hill’s framework of order qualifier and winner that has primarily been used in the literature and manufacturing industry. Application to the fresh food industry to validate the feasibility of the proposed model has been conceived and implemented in this study. Analysis of the data inputs of a supermarket chain via the three MCDM methods generate the results that fulfill the purpose of achieving the research objective of identifying and managing the supplier base that can deliver the best supplier performance, conditional on first passing the fresh food safety test.
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The Internet allows high school students to access primary and secondary sources in the classroom. History teachers should consider different teaching and learning strategies to…
Abstract
The Internet allows high school students to access primary and secondary sources in the classroom. History teachers should consider different teaching and learning strategies to fully utilize these sources in the classroom. Problem-based learning offers an exciting alternative to the traditional history classroom where the lecture and the textbook are used daily. The author describes how he used problem-based learning and the Internet in his high school history classroom to motivate students to learn about the Great Migration. Background information on problem-based learning is given and suggestions are provided by the author to guide teachers step-by-step through this unique approach. Examples of WebPages on the Great Migration are provided which the author highly suggests using. In addition, the author provides detailed information on the causes and effects of the Great Migration to help the classroom teacher.
Gillian A. Maxwell and Samantha MacLean
The purpose of this paper is to explore the operational implications and strategic actions involved in talent management (TM) in Scotland.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the operational implications and strategic actions involved in talent management (TM) in Scotland.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a literature review and focus groups comprising members of the Board of the Scottish Tourism Forum.
Findings
This paper finds that, in an industry with generally high labour turnover and rather negative public image as an employer, TM – in attracting, developing and retaining people – has significant potential to contribute to changing approaches to managing people and to improving opinions on careers in this sector.
Practical implications
Practical implications are that: individual businesses adopt TM approaches that best suit their business, employees and customers; industry bodies and leaders present exemplary practice in TM; business strategies including TM initiatives are actively supported by senior and operational managers in organisations; and educators develop, in liaison with the industry, toolkits for the implementation and evaluation of TM initiatives.
Originality/value
Any practitioner or academic interested in gaining insight into the practice and potential of TM, especially in the Scottish context, will find the paper valuable.
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Kareem Folohunso Sani, Toyin Ajibade Adisa, Olatunji David Adekoya and Emeka Smart Oruh
Given the sharp rise in the adoption of digital onboarding in employment relations and human resource management practices, largely caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the sharp rise in the adoption of digital onboarding in employment relations and human resource management practices, largely caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores the impact of digital onboarding on employees' wellbeing, engagement level, performance, and overall outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses an interpretive qualitative research methodology, undertaking semi-structured interviews with 28 participants working in the UK services industry.
Findings
The study finds that digital onboarding has a significant impact on employee outcomes, following the perceptions of “dwindling social connectedness and personal wellbeing”, “meaningful and meaningless work”, and “poor employee relations” among employees and their employers in the workplace.
Practical implications
Due to the increased adoption of digital onboarding, human resources teams must focus on having considerable human interaction with new hires, even if this means adopting a hybrid approach to onboarding. Human resources teams must ensure that they work together with line managers to promote a welcoming culture for new hires and facilitate organisation-driven socialisation tactics and the “quality” information necessary for supporting new employees. For new employees, besides acquiring the digital skills that are essential in the workplace, they must accept the changing digital landscape in order to practice effective communication and align their goals and values with those of their organisation.
Originality/value
Qualitative research on the influence of digital onboarding on employee outcomes is limited, with much of the research yet to substantially consider the impact of digitalisation on the human resources function of onboarding employees as full members of an organisation.
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The first edition of this book was published in 1947, and dealt almost exclusively with the design and operation of low‐speed wind tunnels. In the present edition much of the…
Abstract
The first edition of this book was published in 1947, and dealt almost exclusively with the design and operation of low‐speed wind tunnels. In the present edition much of the original material has been revised and brought up to date, and additional chapters have been added to extend the description to wind‐tunnel testing at high subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic speeds. The growing importance of rotary‐winged aircraft has led to the inclusion also of a short chapter on the testing of helicopter rotors.