Wendy Jones, Alistair G.F. Gibb and Vivien Chow
Substantial changes were made on many UK construction projects in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unanticipated positive…
Abstract
Purpose
Substantial changes were made on many UK construction projects in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unanticipated positive consequences of these and the scope for longer-term learning and developments within the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was used, semi-structured interviews were conducted across six major project sites. Interviewees (n = 33) included site and senior managers, supply chain representatives and occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals. The interviews explored their experiences of working on site during the pandemic, the changes made to work practices and their perceived impacts of these changes.
Findings
Improved planning and work sequencing were part of the revised process to make sites COVID-secure. This increased worker effectiveness and housekeeping/tidiness. The view on some sites was that this would improve OSH performance. The changes were perceived to be beneficial but may not be accepted by clients in the long term, as they could result in projects taking longer to complete. The ways in which COVID-19 risk has been communicated and perceived also provides longer-term lessons for the sector’s OSH management and training.
Originality/value
Construction has adapted rapidly and effectively to new ways of working during the pandemic. This research captured in real time some of the changes made and presents an argument for embedding and adopting the changes to improve working arrangements and OSH within the construction sector.
Details
Keywords
Wendy Mackey Jones and Jim McKenna
Work‐home conflict of women in a multinational computer organisation was examined in two phases using quantitative and qualitative methods. In Phase 1 a questionnaire was sent to…
Abstract
Work‐home conflict of women in a multinational computer organisation was examined in two phases using quantitative and qualitative methods. In Phase 1 a questionnaire was sent to all directly employed females (n = 204), who were also invited to participate in Phase 2, a one‐hour on‐site focus group. A total of 31 women contributed to four focus groups. In line with previous research, Phase 1 identified the dominant construct to be work interfering with home. Almost one in ten women scored in the highest quartile of possible scores (24 to 30) for work‐to‐home conflict. In Phase 2, issues such as lack of time and lack of social support, family, careers and guilt were discussed in depth. Central to the development of conflict was commitment to both domains. The different meanings women attached to “work” and “home” added to the complexity of these issues. In contrast with past studies, part‐time working status was found to contribute to conflict and intensified the feelings of “juggling”, as did being single. Poor physical and psychological health was a common outcome. A minority of participants experienced positive work‐home “spill‐over”. Witnessing that other women accepted and acknowledged the negative effects of the stressors was thought to be a first step to resolving them. The dual approach adopted facilitated a greater understanding of the concept of work‐home conflict that health professionals may use both to develop and to deliver effective interventions.
Details
Keywords
Jim McKenna and Wendy Mackey Jones
While work‐home conflict has well‐established negative outcomes, few studies explore how this might be resolved. This study explored the delivery and outcomes of a three‐session…
Abstract
While work‐home conflict has well‐established negative outcomes, few studies explore how this might be resolved. This study explored the delivery and outcomes of a three‐session workplace intervention delivered by a non‐specialist counsellor to women with high work‐home conflict, using solution‐focused therapy (SFT). Transcripts from the counselling sessions provided the key data for the study. Participants had unique combinations of conflict, and unique levels of self‐assessed success in developing and sticking to their solutions. These perspectives are spillover (home or work affect each other), segmenting (demands are ring‐fenced in one domain) and compensation (demands in one domain are balanced with contributions to the other). Although the specific solutions generated may not be new to “outsiders”, they were to these women, and were unlikely to have been undertaken without the intervention.
Details
Keywords
This paper reports on the pilot phase of a participatory project to develop an online ‘AS portal’, which provided peer‐to‐peer support for higher education students with…
Abstract
This paper reports on the pilot phase of a participatory project to develop an online ‘AS portal’, which provided peer‐to‐peer support for higher education students with Asperger's syndrome. The process of development is described and the initial outcomes of the pilot evaluated, including qualitative feedback from participants. Participants actively engaged with the portal, by giving and receiving support through in‐depth discussion, much of which centred on the experience of having autism. The research indicates that there is value in further exploring peer support networks for individuals on the autism spectrum and highlights the importance of appropriate design and sufficient time‐scale for such initiatives. It also reflects on the implications of participatory methodologies for both researchers and participants.
Details
Keywords
Sirje Virkus, Janika Leoste, Kristel Marmor, Tiina Kasuk and Aleksei Talisainen
Telepresence robots (TPRs) are an emerging field of application and research that have received attention from various disciplines, including computer science, telehealth and…
Abstract
Purpose
Telepresence robots (TPRs) are an emerging field of application and research that have received attention from various disciplines, including computer science, telehealth and education. The purpose of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on TPR in the Web of Science database from 1980 to 2022 to gain a better understanding of the state of research on TPRs and explore the role of pedagogical and psychological aspects in this research.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis of research publications on TPRs was made on the basis of papers published in the Web of Science database from 1980 to 2022. The following research questions were proposed: What are the main tendencies in publication years, document types, countries of origin, source titles, publication authors, affiliations of authors and the most cited articles related to TPRs? What are the main topics discussed in the publications from the perspective of psychology? What are the main topics discussed in the publications from the perspective of educational sciences?
Findings
The results indicate that it is in the computer science where most of the existing research has been conducted, whereas the interest in the psychology and educational science has been relatively low. The greatest regional contributor has been the USA, whereas the effort in the European Union lags behind. Research publications in psychology in the Web of Science database related to TPRs can be grouped into three broad thematic categories: features of TPRs, degree of social presence compared to physical presence or other mediated technologies and opportunities for using TPRs. The results suggest that from the perspective of psychology, TPRs are one of the approaches that could enable greater social presence in remote communication. Most of the analysed papers in educational sciences investigated the opportunities of using TPRs in various educational fields. However, while the findings of the studies indicated significant potential of TPRs for education, their acceptance for wider use is still challenged.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this research are that this study only analysed research papers in the Web of Science database and therefore only covers a limited number of scientific papers published in the field of psychology and educational sciences on TPRs. In addition, only publications with the term “telepresence robots” in the topic area of the Web of Science database were analysed. Therefore, several relevant studies are not discussed in this paper that are not reflected in the Web of Science database or were related to other keywords.
Originality/value
The field of TPRs has not been explored using a bibliographic analysis of publications in the Web of Science database from the perspective of psychology and educational sciences. The findings of this paper will help researchers and academic staff better understand the state of research on TPRs and the pedagogical and psychological aspects addressed in this research.
Details
Keywords
Barbara Heilemann and Polly Parker
This paper highlights how career capital is accrued through three ways of knowing in a women’s leadership programme (WLP) in an Australian State Police Department. A shift in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper highlights how career capital is accrued through three ways of knowing in a women’s leadership programme (WLP) in an Australian State Police Department. A shift in focus to building capability rather than addressing gaps in participants' abilities was enhanced through the unique use of sponsors and positive psychology interventions.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal study, which comprised 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups, and a survey with participants eight months after the interviews, assessed the impact of enhanced skills, connections and qualifications on extant role performance.
Findings
The WLP enhanced three key components of career capital.
Originality/value
The authors' study extends extant knowledge in seven key ways related to WLPs: (1) reaffirms the benefits for police, (2) developing or enhancing career capital, (3) accruing women’s career capital in policing, (4) pedagogical benefits for WLPs, (5) articulating outcomes of developing career capital, (6) the uniqueness of allocating sponsors and (7) extending empirical studies demonstrating synergies within the intelligent career framework.