Susan Stevens, head of HR at Toshiba Information Systems UK, describes how the company developed a strategy to measure and improve absence rates and overall employee well‐being.
Abstract
Susan Stevens, head of HR at Toshiba Information Systems UK, describes how the company developed a strategy to measure and improve absence rates and overall employee well‐being.
This article describes ways of encouraging employees to be more creative, and to contribute fresh ideas that can make and save money for the company.
Abstract
Purpose
This article describes ways of encouraging employees to be more creative, and to contribute fresh ideas that can make and save money for the company.
Design/methodology/approach
Draws on information provided by the head of human resources at Toshiba Information Systems, the multinational's UK arm.
Findings
Reveals that an innovation programme introduced three years ago at Toshiba has saved the company almost £3 billion worldwide and more than £10 million at Toshiba Information Systems.
Practical implications
Presents six tips for unleashing employee creativity: take the mystery out of creativity; discover how individuals are creative; define challenges specifically; minimize fear of failure; take personal responsibility; and encourage active communication.
Originality/value
Suggests that structure and incentives are more important than brainstorming and away days. Cites six sigma and cross‐pollination in the context of innovation.
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The general quality of milk supplied by the cows will also affect the question, and in this connection it may be noted that Mr. Lehmann stated to the Departmental Committee that…
Abstract
The general quality of milk supplied by the cows will also affect the question, and in this connection it may be noted that Mr. Lehmann stated to the Departmental Committee that Dutch cows do not produce a milk so rich in fat as these of Switzerland; an examination of the figures given tends to corroborate this view. Dutch milks appear to require concentration to a higher degree in order to provide as large a proportion of fat as Swiss or Norwegian made milk.
This study describes and analyzes the output of academic research on the topic of social capital. The concept of social capital has attracted the interest of scholars from a range…
Abstract
Purpose
This study describes and analyzes the output of academic research on the topic of social capital. The concept of social capital has attracted the interest of scholars from a range of academic disciplines, and it has been applied to explain a variety of phenomena.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the bibliographic approach, I analyzed aggregate data obtained from the Web of Science database. The analyses were carried out using VOSviewer software.
Findings
The results show social capital to be a topic of interest in multiple fields of academic research. The findings highlight the important role that journals, including those from disciplines other than the social sciences, have played in divulging this concept, and show that some countries and institutions are more productive and engage in more collaborative research efforts than others.
Research limitations/implications
The main implications of this study regard research on social capital. The results demonstrate how social capital continues to interest scholars from a variety of academic disciplines. Future bibliometric research should include other sources (literature databases) and be expanded to consider other types of publication.
Originality/value
This paper furthers previous research by exclusively focusing on the concept of social capital. It analyzes the international trend in publications up until the end of 2021, thus expanding the publication period considered in previous studies. The results of this study highlight the relevance of bibliometric tools for assessing research performance.
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Darlene DeMarie, Susan Weber and Victoria Damjanovic
High quality professional development and preservice teacher training should incorporate elements to help practitioners to integrate theory, research, and practice. Ideally…
Abstract
High quality professional development and preservice teacher training should incorporate elements to help practitioners to integrate theory, research, and practice. Ideally, lessons and activities in early childhood classrooms would look like a kaleidoscope of dynamic approaches, infusing what is known about teaching into the context of that particular classroom with a diverse group of learners at that moment in time. It cannot be a “one size fits all” package. In the present chapter, vignettes from two schools in different parts of the world (South Africa and the United States) illustrate how digital media (photographs and video) provide powerful tools for bridging principles learned in professional development with ongoing classroom practice. The authors show how the use of digital tools helped teachers to: (1) see the consequences of their teaching decisions; (2) understand and value children's cultures; (3) meet the needs of all students (special needs or gifted) in their classroom; (4) increase family involvement; and (5) demonstrate their accountability. Using video and photographs provides a lens for ongoing reflection and observation of children in action. Digital tools allow teachers to discover their classroom from a different angle, see what children learned, or experience something the teacher missed while engaged in action. Digital tools create dialogue among teachers from diverse settings and provide new ways for everyone to view classroom experiences. They offer opportunities for brainstorming and for gaining different perspectives. Thus, digital tools enhance reflective practice. The authors realized everyone could be changed from the experience, including those who provided the professional development.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between identity and global mobility in the careers of senior, female talent, uniquely taking into account the perceptions of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between identity and global mobility in the careers of senior, female talent, uniquely taking into account the perceptions of both female and male participants. In addition, the role organisations can play in enabling women to overcome these identity constraints is identified.
Design/methodology/approach
This interpretivist study draws on data from 38 in-depth interviews with senior managers in a large, multinational organisation to elicit a rich picture of how such careers are enacted.
Findings
Findings reveal how identity conflicts function as a glass border for globally mobile, senior female talent. Ways in which talent can access positive identity narratives to inform global mobility choices are identified.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size and the single case design of this research. The findings, however, offer insights into the identity work of globally mobile, female talent across different contexts.
Practical implications
Organisations can facilitate access to identity narratives through mentoring, face-to-face forums and via the internet to enable globally mobile, female talent to make more informed global mobility choices.
Originality/value
Drawing on identity theory, this paper examines how identity work for globally mobile, female talent has more fluid interpersonal boundaries than for men, creating on-going identity struggles. In highlighting how identity narratives can act as a means of breaching the glass border and facilitating global mobility for female talent, a contribution is made to existing debates in the fields of identity, gender studies and global talent management.
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Geoff Ruggeri‐Stevens and Susan Goodwin
The paper alerts small business employers to new dictates of the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) as it applies to learning disabilities. Then the “Learning to Work” project…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper alerts small business employers to new dictates of the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) as it applies to learning disabilities. Then the “Learning to Work” project featured in the paper offers small business employers a set of approaches and methods for the identification of a learning‐disabled young adult candidate's training needs.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews were carried out with 12 of the 52 companies in which the Breakaway‐supported employment service, operating from the Southdown Housing Association, has so far secured employment for people with learning disabilities.
Findings
Comments from employers in the survey represented predominantly very favourable experiences with the learning‐disabled individuals, mixed with some reservations about their need for additional training time, and their relative inflexibility in response to change of work routines.
Research limitations/implications
The investigation was confined to SMEs in Sussex. As they stand, the methods could be used in different business sectors, but further research is planned on elicitation of candidates' personal constructs, resource modelling, and continuous training cycles.
Originality/value
Recognised supported employment models were used but significantly adapted. Some methods used in the paper were new.
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Nancy J. Adler and Joyce S. Osland
Whereas most societal commentators continue to review the historical patterns of men’s leadership in search of models for 21st-century success, few have begun to recognize, let…
Abstract
Whereas most societal commentators continue to review the historical patterns of men’s leadership in search of models for 21st-century success, few have begun to recognize, let alone appreciate, the equivalent patterns of women’s leadership and the future contributions that women could potentially make as leaders. What could and are women bringing to society as global leaders? Why at this moment in history is there such a marked increase in the number of women leaders? Are we entering an era in which both male and female leaders will shape history, both symbolically and in reality? And if so, will we discover that women, on average, lead in different ways than men, or will we learn that role (global leader) explains more than gender? This chapter reveals the accelerating trends of women joining men in senior leadership positions, establishes the relationship of women leaders to our overall understanding of global leadership, and sets forth an agenda to accomplish much needed research and understanding.
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Phillip M. Jolly, Susan E. Gordon and Timothy T. Self
The restaurant industry is characterized by long hours, intense job demands and a lack of work-life balance. While a growing body of research has investigated methods for…
Abstract
Purpose
The restaurant industry is characterized by long hours, intense job demands and a lack of work-life balance. While a growing body of research has investigated methods for decreasing role conflict-related stress and strain in foodservice and hospitality employees, there is still little understanding of what supervisors can do to decrease work-life-related employee strain. This study aims to investigate how family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB) influence employee emotional exhaustion (EE) and subsequent turnover intentions, as well as the role of gender in moderating these effects.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey-based design using a national panel of 226 foodservice employees was used to investigate the hypotheses developed in this paper.
Findings
Results indicated that FSSB decreased employee EE and subsequent turnover intentions. The authors also found that this relationship was stronger for female employees.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides insight into the role that employee gender may play in response to the perception of and reactions to FSSB. Women still shoulder a majority of home and non-work caring duties, and therefore, they may be more positively affected when supervisors engage in behaviors that allow for balancing work and non-work demands.
Originality/value
There is little hospitality or foodservice-focused research into the effects of FSSB, and little overall research that investigates the role that gender may play in shaping the beneficial effects of FSSB. Given that women make up a majority of foodservice employees in the USA, yet there is a lack of female representation at higher levels of organizations, the study provides insights into ways in which organizations and supervisors can improve female employees’ working experiences and potentially increase their retention.