Simme Douwe P. Flapper, Leonard Fortuin and Paul P.M. Stoop
Performance indicators (PIs) and performance measurement are popular topics in management literature nowadays. However, hardly ever is attention paid to the consequences of the…
Abstract
Performance indicators (PIs) and performance measurement are popular topics in management literature nowadays. However, hardly ever is attention paid to the consequences of the relationships that often exist between the different PIs for designing effective, consistent performance management systems for organizations as a whole. Presents a concrete method for constructing a consistent set of PIs forming the basis of a consistent performance management system, where explicit attention is paid to the relations between PIs. Discusses the important role played by the new classification of PIs. Provides a case study to illustrate the use of the method in a practical situation.
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Paul P.M. Stoop and J. Will M. Bertrand
In complex, job‐shop‐like production departments it is usually very difficult to predict the near‐future logistic performance as well as to explain or diagnose objectively why and…
Abstract
In complex, job‐shop‐like production departments it is usually very difficult to predict the near‐future logistic performance as well as to explain or diagnose objectively why and how a certain performance has been achieved. Presents a prediction and diagnosis method that has been developed and tested in two production departments. Describes how the method provides realistic logistic performance targets in the short term with respect to the throughput of a production department and order completion times. The method also quantitatively determines ex post the impact of occurred disturbances on the realized performance. In the pilot project the method provided a clearer insight into relationships between logistic key variables, gave decision support to the capacity allocation decision, and generated reliable performance targets for the short term. More importantly, the actual performance became more open to discussion due to the objective explanation of the achieved performance, which opens the way to performance improvements.
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Paul P.M. Stoop and Vincent C.S. Wiers
Successful implementations of scheduling techniques in practice are scarce. Not only do daily disturbances lead to a gap between theory and practice, but also the extent to which…
Abstract
Successful implementations of scheduling techniques in practice are scarce. Not only do daily disturbances lead to a gap between theory and practice, but also the extent to which a scheduling technique can adequately model the processes on the shopfloor, and the extent to which the optimization goal of a technique matches the organizational goal are not great enough. Further, the schedulers’ actions may play an important role in the fulfilment of the generated schedules. The organizational structure with its different responsibilities and conflicting goals may also result in the poor performance of scheduling techniques. Besides these, there is the problem of measuring the quality of a schedule. Discusses the causes for these gaps and illustrates the solutions to improve scheduling by way of a case study.
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“A Candidate, canvassing his district, met a Nurse wheeling a Baby in a carriage, and, stooping, imprinted a kiss upon the Baby's clammy muzzle. Rising, he saw a Man, who laughed.
Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari, Heng Li, David John Edwards, Erika Anneli Pärn, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Joonoh Seo and Arnold Yu Lok Wong
Work-related low back disorders (LBDs) are prevalent among rebar workers although their causes remain uncertain. The purpose of this study is to examine the self-reported…
Abstract
Purpose
Work-related low back disorders (LBDs) are prevalent among rebar workers although their causes remain uncertain. The purpose of this study is to examine the self-reported discomfort and spinal biomechanics (muscle activity and spinal kinematics) experienced by rebar workers.
Design/methodology/approach
In all, 20 healthy male participants performed simulated repetitive rebar lifting tasks with three different lifting weights, using either a stoop (n = 10) or a squat (n = 10) lifting posture, until subjective fatigue was reached. During these tasks, trunk muscle activity and spinal kinematics were recorded using surface electromyography and motion sensors, respectively.
Findings
A mixed-model, repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that an increase in lifting weight significantly increased lower back muscle activity at L3 level but decreased fatigue and time to fatigue (endurance time) (p < 0.05). Lifting postures had no significant effect on spinal biomechanics (p < 0.05). Test results revealed that lifting different weights causes disproportional loading upon muscles, which shortens the time to reach working endurance and increases the risk of developing LBDs among rebar workers.
Research limitations/implications
Future research is required to: broaden the research scope to include other trades; investigate the effects of using assistive lifting devices to reduce manual handling risks posed; and develop automated human condition-based solutions to monitor trunk muscle activity and spinal kinematics.
Originality/value
This study fulfils an identified need to study laboratory-based simulated task conducted to investigate the risk of developing LBDs among rebar workers primarily caused by repetitive rebar lifting.
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Martin Götz and Ernest H. O’Boyle
The overall goal of science is to build a valid and reliable body of knowledge about the functioning of the world and how applying that knowledge can change it. As personnel and…
Abstract
The overall goal of science is to build a valid and reliable body of knowledge about the functioning of the world and how applying that knowledge can change it. As personnel and human resources management researchers, we aim to contribute to the respective bodies of knowledge to provide both employers and employees with a workable foundation to help with those problems they are confronted with. However, what research on research has consistently demonstrated is that the scientific endeavor possesses existential issues including a substantial lack of (a) solid theory, (b) replicability, (c) reproducibility, (d) proper and generalizable samples, (e) sufficient quality control (i.e., peer review), (f) robust and trustworthy statistical results, (g) availability of research, and (h) sufficient practical implications. In this chapter, we first sing a song of sorrow regarding the current state of the social sciences in general and personnel and human resources management specifically. Then, we investigate potential grievances that might have led to it (i.e., questionable research practices, misplaced incentives), only to end with a verse of hope by outlining an avenue for betterment (i.e., open science and policy changes at multiple levels).
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Bianca Kramer and Jeroen Bosman
In academia, assessment is often narrow in its focus on research productivity, its application of a limited number of standardised metrics and its summative approach aimed at…
Abstract
In academia, assessment is often narrow in its focus on research productivity, its application of a limited number of standardised metrics and its summative approach aimed at selection. This approach, corresponding to an exclusive, subject-oriented concept of talent management, can be thought of as at odds with a broader view of the role of academic institutions as accelerating and improving science and scholarship and its societal impact. In recent years, open science practices as well as research integrity issues have increased awareness of the need for a more inclusive approach to assessment and talent management in academia, broadening assessment to reward the full spectrum of academic activities and, within that spectrum, deepening assessment by critically reflecting on the processes and indicators involved (both qualitative and quantitative). In terms of talent management, this would mean a move from research-focused assessment to assessment including all academic activities (including education, professional performance and leadership), a shift from focus on the individual to a focus on collaboration in teams (recognising contributions of both academic and support staff), increased attention for formative assessment and greater agency for those being evaluated, as well as around the data, tools and platforms used in assessment. Together, this represents a more inclusive, subject-oriented approach to talent management. Implementation of such changes requires involvement from university management, human resource management and academic and support staff at all career levels, and universities would benefit from participation in mutual learning initiatives currently taking shape in various regions of the world.
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Hannah R. Marston, Linda Shore, Laura Stoops and Robbie S. Turner
John K. Smith and Joseph Blase
With the demise of the empiricist theory of knowledge and theincreased prominence of postempiricist and hermeneutical perspectives,it is clear that various aspects of our social…
Abstract
With the demise of the empiricist theory of knowledge and the increased prominence of postempiricist and hermeneutical perspectives, it is clear that various aspects of our social lives – including educational leadership – should no longer be thought of in terms of technological or instrumental rationality and technical expertise. Although the current philosophical ferment allows for different ways to rethink leadership, this article examines the implications of one school of thought – philosophical hermeneutics – for the research on, and especially the practice of, educational leadership. The central point is that this perspective, when interpreted in terms of how we think of ourselves as persons, results in a conceptualisation of leadership as a predominantly practical and moral activity.