Terry H. Wagar and Kent V. Rondeau
In recent years, health care in Canada as elsewhere has witnessed unprecedented restructuring and reorganization. Concurrent with the massive restructuring of health care systems…
Abstract
In recent years, health care in Canada as elsewhere has witnessed unprecedented restructuring and reorganization. Concurrent with the massive restructuring of health care systems, many health care organizations have dramatically downsized their workforces by shedding jobs and people. It is generally assumed that forced workforce reductions can have significant deleterious consequences on organizations. This study examines the impact of workforce reduction on perceptions of organizational performance in a large sample of Canadian health care organizations.
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Kent V. Rondeau and Terry H. Wagar
Organizational scholars and practitioners alike have long recognized the role of corporate culture in shaping the strategic and operational choices that organizations pursue. It…
Abstract
Organizational scholars and practitioners alike have long recognized the role of corporate culture in shaping the strategic and operational choices that organizations pursue. It is the responsibility of those who plan for change to select approaches that are compatible with the enduring elements of the organization’s dominant culture. A large sample of Canadian hospitals were surveyed to assess how organizational culture impacts the choices that organizations make in managing fiscal cutbacks. Results suggest that approaches and strategies used by Canadian hospitals in managing the change are variably influenced by CEO perceptions of the prevailing corporate culture.
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Terry H. Wagar and Kent V. Rondeau
Many health care workplaces are adopting more cooperative labour‐management relations, spurred in part by sweeping changes in the economic environment that have occurred over the…
Abstract
Many health care workplaces are adopting more cooperative labour‐management relations, spurred in part by sweeping changes in the economic environment that have occurred over the last decade. Labour‐management cooperation is seen as essential if health care organizations are to achieve their valued performance objectives. Joint labour‐management committees (LMCs) have been adopted in many health care workplaces as a means of achieving better industrial relations. Using data from a sample of Canadian union leaders in the health care sector, this paper examines the impact of labour‐management forums and labour climate on employee and organizational outcomes. Research results suggest that labour climate is less important in predicting workplace performance (and change in workplace performance) than is the number of LMCs in operation. However, labour climate is found to be at least as important in predicting union member satisfaction (and change in member satisfaction) as is the wide adoption of LMCs in operation. These findings are consistent with the notion that the greater use of LMCs is associated with augmented workplace performance (and a positive change in workplace performance), notwithstanding the contribution of the labour climate in the workplace.
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Wendy R. Carroll and Terry H. Wagar
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the adoption of information technology is associated with human resource management and organizational restructuring.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the adoption of information technology is associated with human resource management and organizational restructuring.
Design/methodology/approach
SMEs in Nova Scotia were visited and complete data from 130 firms were obtained.
Findings
The rate of IT adoption varies noticeably among SMEs in Nova Scotia, with less than 10 per cent being high adopters. IT adoption was strongly associated with employer size, organizational restructuring and investment in human resource management.
Research limitations/implications
The data are cross‐sectional and the generalizability of the results may be limited. While it was found that HRM and IT were strongly related, it was whether they are associated with higher employer performance was not examined.
Practical implications
The results suggest that IT may play a role in enhancing the human resource function.
Originality/value
There has been little research exploring the link between HRM and IT adoption, particularly among small firms. This paper fills some of the gaps.
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Kent V. Rondeau and Terry H. Wagar
The relationship between organization strategy and a high-involvement work system (HIWS) in the accumulation of social capital is investigated in nursing subunits in a large…
Abstract
The relationship between organization strategy and a high-involvement work system (HIWS) in the accumulation of social capital is investigated in nursing subunits in a large sample of Canadian long-term care organizations. Results suggest that strategic orientation of nursing homes has a differential impact on the ability of these organizations to accumulate social capital in its nursing staff. Using a competing values framework to characterize strategic orientation, long-term care establishments pursuing an employee-focused strategy are able to accumulate higher levels of social capital in their nursing units through the adoption of a high-involvement human resource management (HRM) work system. By contrast, long-term care organizations pursuing an operational efficiency strategy, in tandem with the adoption of a high-involvement HRM system, produce no additional accumulation in nursing unit social capital.
Terry H. Wagar and Kent V. Rondeau
Although many organisations have in recent years installed TQ programs, many have been unable to realize significant performance enhancements. Results from a diverse sample of…
Abstract
Although many organisations have in recent years installed TQ programs, many have been unable to realize significant performance enhancements. Results from a diverse sample of Canadian health care organisations suggest that merely having a TQ program is insufficient for attaining selected performance improvements. Health care organisations which have both a formal TQ program and a deep commitment to quality improvement are perceived to perform better on a number of valued outcomes.
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Looks at the decline of unionization in the USA, and its future prognosis, with regard to the labour laws. States that a conservative ideology now favours capitalistic interests…
Abstract
Looks at the decline of unionization in the USA, and its future prognosis, with regard to the labour laws. States that a conservative ideology now favours capitalistic interests over workers’ rights, which divert negotiations with regard to unionizing with free collective bargaining.
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Global cycles of leadership and hegemony have repeated since 1492, leaving to history Dutch, British, and now declining US hegemonies. Theoretical models (Chase‐Dunn and Rubinson…
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Global cycles of leadership and hegemony have repeated since 1492, leaving to history Dutch, British, and now declining US hegemonies. Theoretical models (Chase‐Dunn and Rubinson 1977; Hopkins and Wallerstein 1979; Arrighi 1994), historical narratives (Wallerstein 1974, 1980, 1989; Kennedy 1989), and statistical analyses (Modelski and Thompson 1988; Boswell and Sweat 1991) portray the cycle of hegemony as a fixed dynamic inherent to the world‐system. Can we expect the future to be any different?