Redefining Higher Education and Work

This chapter and book provide the foundation for executives, academic leaders, faculty, and students to analyze the realities of higher education today, strategies that would ensure success of academic institutions, and factors that would lend to student success. In particular, the book addresses essentials of online learning, strategies to ensure success of online degrees and courses, effective course development practices, key support mechanisms for students, and ensuring student success in online degree programs. Furthermore, the book addresses the future of work, preferences of employees, and how work can be redesigned to create further employee satisfaction, engagement, and increase productivity. In particular, the book covers insights that would lend to ensuring remote employees feel valued, included, and are being provided relevant support to thrive in their roles.

Work-Life Balance Challenges

Within an ever-changing, digitalized world, the working methods have vastly changed over the last few decades. If the effects of a contemporary event such as COVID-19—the global pandemic started in the Hubei region of China at the end of December 2019—are considered, the changes have reached beyond just the practical logistics of working and crossed otherwise untouched social and emotional barriers. As a result of the pandemic, new working ways on an international level have become considerably more prominent. With the post-modern paradigm, organizations have focused on their employees and see them as stakeholders and developed a set of policies and standards under the guise of “an employee-friendly organization.” This chapter sheds light on strategies on how to maintain work-life balance in a virtual environment of remote work, new regulations, and the gaining importance of employee satisfaction, ensuring remote employees feel cared for, valued, and included.

Employee onboarding and satisfaction in US manufacturing companies

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify primary issues related to employee onboarding and satisfaction in US-based manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach In total, 19 focus groups using semi-structured interviews with senior management, middle management, tenured employees and new employees were conducted with personnel from five manufacturing companies located in the Midwest USA. Onboarding procedures, training manuals, employee satisfaction surveys and performance evaluations were subsequently reviewed. Findings Insufficient onboarding, poor communication and a perceived lack of support were reported as satisfaction concerns by manufacturing employees. In addition, management had vastly differing perspectives regarding the work environment when responses were contrasted with those from new or tenured employees. Originality/value This paper reveals contributing factors that influence satisfaction early and throughout an employee’s tenure with small- to medium-sized US manufacturing companies.

ANALISIS MOTIVASI, DISIPLIN KERJA DAN SARANA PRASARANA TERHADAP KINERJA PEGAWAI MELALUI KEPUASAN KERJA DI KANTOR BADAN KEPEGAWAIAN DAN PENGEMBANGAN SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA KABUPATEN BANTAENG PROVINSI SULAWESI SELATAN

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pengaruh motivasi kerja, disiplin kerja, sarana dan prasarana terhadap kepuasan dan kinerja pegawai, menganalisis pengaruh kepuasan kerja terhadap kinerja pegawai, menganalisis pengaruh motivasi kerja, disiplin kerja, sarana dan prasarana terhadap kinerja pegawai melalui kepuasan kerja. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut maka digunakan teknik pengumpulan data melalui penyebaran kuesioner, dengan teknik analisis data menggunakan analisis regresi berganda dan uji sobel test. Hasil penelitian menemukan bahwa motivasi kerja memberikan pengaruh yang bermakna dalam meningkatkan kepuasan kerja. Disiplin kerja dapat memberikan pengaruh yang bermakna dalam meningkatkan kepuasan kerja pegawai. Sarana dan prasarana memberikan pengaruh yang bermakna dalam meningkatkan kepuasan kerja pegawai. Kepuasan pegawai memberikan pengaruh yang bermakna dalam meningkatkan kinerja pegawai. Kepuasan kerja dapat memediasi secara parsial pengaruh motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja pegawai. Kepuasan kerja dapat memediasi secara parsial pengaruh disiplin kerja terhadap kinerja pegawai. Kepuasan kerja dapat memediasi secara parsial pengaruh sarana dan prasarana terhadap kinerja pegawai pada BKPSDM Kabupaten Bantaeng Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan. This study aims to determine and analyze the effect of work motivation, work discipline, facilities and infrastructure on employee satisfaction and performance, analyze the effect of job satisfaction on employee performance, analyze the effect of work motivation, work discipline, facilities and infrastructure on employee performance through job satisfaction. To achieve this goal, data collection techniques were used through the distribution of questionnaires, with data analysis techniques using multiple regression analysis and Sobel test. The results of the study found that work motivation had a significant effect on increasing job satisfaction. Work discipline can have a significant effect in increasing employee job satisfaction. Facilities and infrastructure have a significant influence in increasing employee job satisfaction. Employee satisfaction has a significant effect in improving employee performance. Job satisfaction can partially mediate the effect of work motivation on employee performance. Job satisfaction can partially mediate the effect of work discipline on employee performance. Job satisfaction can partially mediate the effect of facilities and infrastructure on employee performance at BKPSDM Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi Province.

Social Competencies as Predictive Factors of Employee Satisfaction with Life

The main goal of our research was to determine whether social competence predicts employee life satisfaction. The online survey involved 415 respondents from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina who work, regardless of employment status. Based on the conducted research, we obtained results that show that only certain components of social competence overlook the life satisfaction of employees. While concerning gender, the results show that social competencies are significantly less developed in men than in women.