Panayiotis Stylianou, Alexander Pepper and John Mahoney‐Phillips
This case study feature aims to describes how UBS's human resources (HR) organization radically transformed its practices to deal with the harsh operating environment that…
Abstract
Purpose
This case study feature aims to describes how UBS's human resources (HR) organization radically transformed its practices to deal with the harsh operating environment that resulted from the financial crisis of 2007‐2009. It seeks to examine best practices from the operational successes of the new model, as well as pitfalls to avoid by assessing the effects of the swift changes on employee commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study illustrates the strategy UBS adopted to transform its HR organization, supported by the findings of a research study into employee commitment levels.
Findings
The paper finds that the integration of several HR functions into one centralized organization led to the creation of a strategic HR function better able to manage a global workforce and act as a business partner to the organization at a lower cost. The radical nature of the change, however, negatively affected desirable employee commitment. Employees were less likely to engage in positive organizational behavior during and soon after the change.
Originality/value
This paper informs HR managers about how best to manage in turbulent times and how to apply transformational changes to achieve operational efficiencies and cost reductions while retaining employee commitment.
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Phillip John McKerrow and Neil Lindsay Harper
Continuous Transmission Frequency Modulated (CTFM) ultrasonic sensors can be used to recognise plants. The echo from a plant is modelled as an acoustic density profile…
Abstract
Continuous Transmission Frequency Modulated (CTFM) ultrasonic sensors can be used to recognise plants. The echo from a plant is modelled as an acoustic density profile. Classification based on features extracted from the echo is more robust than classification based on the echo. Potential applications for this sensing system include landmark navigation and plant sensing for selective spraying of agricultural chemicals.
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Rajinder Garcha and John C. Phillips
This study was conducted to learn about the involvement of US academic librarians in local as well as national faculty union activities; their reasons for joining unions; and the…
Abstract
This study was conducted to learn about the involvement of US academic librarians in local as well as national faculty union activities; their reasons for joining unions; and the benefits they have gained because of their memberships in their unions. It was concluded that librarians who were members of unions generally earned higher salaries than those who were not. Since librarians had on several occasions worked closely with the teaching faculty on various union activities, several close bonds and relationships among them had occurred. Moreover, librarians viewed union membership as a vehicle to become more involved in decision‐making processes at their institutions.
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Some misconception appears to have arisen in respect to the meaning of Section 11 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1899, owing, doubtless, to the faulty punctuation of certain copies of…
Abstract
Some misconception appears to have arisen in respect to the meaning of Section 11 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1899, owing, doubtless, to the faulty punctuation of certain copies of the Act, and the Sanitary Record has done good service by calling attention to the matter. The trouble has clearly been caused by the insertion of a comma after the word “condensed” in certain copies of the Act, and the non‐insertion of this comma in other copies. The words of the section, as printed by the Sanitary Record, are as follows: “Every tin or other receptacle containing condensed, separated or skimmed milk must bear a label clearly visible to the purchaser on which the words ‘Machine‐skimmed Milk,’ or ‘Skimmed Milk,’ as the case may require, are printed in large and legible type.”
In this chapter I attempt to merge Athens’ conception of domination as a complex interactionist concept with Goffman’s notion of demeanor and deference as lynchpins of…
Abstract
In this chapter I attempt to merge Athens’ conception of domination as a complex interactionist concept with Goffman’s notion of demeanor and deference as lynchpins of dramaturgical analysis. I ground the merger in an analysis of metaphorical duel between a superordinate and subordinate in the TV show Mad Men. The examination of this metaphorical dual also implies a connection between a radical interactionism as defined by Athens and a radical dramaturgy informed by Athens’ conception of domination. In particular, I propose an examination of civil domination within institutionalized settings in which use of shared pasts and concomitant acts of demeanor and deference enhance the construction of domination between superordinates and subordinates. The fictional representation of a metaphorical duel in the television show Mad Men depicts a struggle for control in which the superordinate demands that a willful subordinate sign a contract which will bind the subordinate to a particular place for an extended period of time. The examination of events leading to signing reveals a complex weave of social acts that combines the force of domination with the artistry of demeanor and deference.
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Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are…
Abstract
Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.
Tamara Phillips and John Crabbe
Does having alcoholic parents make you more susceptible to alcohol problems? Why do some people develop drink or drug problems while others in the same family do not? How much can…
Abstract
Does having alcoholic parents make you more susceptible to alcohol problems? Why do some people develop drink or drug problems while others in the same family do not? How much can genetic research tell us about why drink and drugs can affect people in so many different ways? With genetic research discovering increasing links with behaviour we invited two of the leading addiction and gene researchers to explain the science. Tamara Phillips and John Crabbe uncover the ever‐emerging world of genetic research and addiction theory.
In order to succeed in an action under the Equal Pay Act 1970, should the woman and the man be employed by the same employer on like work at the same time or would the woman still…
Abstract
In order to succeed in an action under the Equal Pay Act 1970, should the woman and the man be employed by the same employer on like work at the same time or would the woman still be covered by the Act if she were employed on like work in succession to the man? This is the question which had to be solved in Macarthys Ltd v. Smith. Unfortunately it was not. Their Lordships interpreted the relevant section in different ways and since Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome was also subject to different interpretations, the case has been referred to the European Court of Justice.
Stakeholders are typically described as those who may affect or be affected by the actions of a firm. The purpose of this chapter is to present an argument that stakeholder theory…
Abstract
Stakeholders are typically described as those who may affect or be affected by the actions of a firm. The purpose of this chapter is to present an argument that stakeholder theory should pay specific regard to what I term marginal stakeholders, that is, parties affected by a firm’s actions but who nevertheless have no actual or foreseeable influence to shape its strategic goals. Several key proponents of stakeholder theory maintain that these groups are not legitimate stakeholders and therefore do not warrant consideration. For example, marginal groups are routinely excluded from discussions of stakeholder fairness. Alternatively, theorists presume that advocates with leverage will protect these groups, or appeals to human rights will be sufficient. In contrast, I contend that there are cases where the firm has benefitted, but identifiable and discrete stakeholders have been negatively affected by corporate action in an environment where rights are ignored or there is no significant legal recourse. Drawing on foundational literature on fairness and insights from social psychology, I conclude that fully realized stakeholder theory means that a corporation has to consider its duties to all those affected by the impact of a firm, including the powerless.