scholarly journals The influence of Industry 4.0 on employment in engineering companies: Evidence of managerial view in Czech and Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 129 ◽  
pp. 04002
Author(s):  
Karel Kuba ◽  
Jiri Dedina ◽  
Frantisek Milichovsky

Research background: The global business activities raise the necessity of skilled workers, especially in the context of Industry 4.0 and its implementation in company processes. At the same time, the development of technologies in connection with the automation and robotization of production processes. Industry 4.0 provides the company with the opportunity to change from a traditional production approach and separate production units to an automated operation. Purpose of the article: The primary research aimed to obtain information and data that top managers consider as important. At the same time, there is a focus on the connection between the level of employment in an engineering company and within the implementation of the concept of industry 4.0. Methods: In the primary research, structured interviews were used. For the interview, we asked managers from the 88 companies in the Czech and 303 companies in Germany. From that amount, we get responses from 67 Czech companies (82 managers) and 160 German companies (200 managers). Their answers were processed by the Dematel method, which is considered a multi-evaluation tool. Findings & Value added: Based on the implementation of the DEMATEL method, the coordinates of individual parameters were determined with their visualization in the map of influences, in which the links between individual variables are visible, which are located in two quadrants. The links between the individual variables are in the form of the above arrows, wherein in the case of bidirectional arrows, it is a mutual influence of variables and one-way arrows then show a one-sided dependence.

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-ching Ho

This study investigates research writing anxiety and self-efficacy beliefs among English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) graduate students in engineering-related fields. The relationship between the two writing affective constructs was examined and students’ perspectives on research writing anxiety were also explored. A total of 218 survey responses from engineering graduate students at Taiwanese universities were analyzed, along with qualitative data from open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that while master’s and doctoral students felt a similar moderate level of writing anxiety, senior doctoral students were more self-efficacious about writing research papers in English than their junior counterparts. Overall, students with higher writing self-efficacy felt less apprehensive. Additionally, among the individual variables, experience in writing for publication better predicted writing anxiety and self-efficacy than students’ self-reported English proficiency and the number of writing courses taken. The qualitative findings indicated various sources of graduate-level writing anxiety, including insufficient writing skills in English, time constraints, and fear of negative comments. Furthermore, composing different sections of a research paper provoked different levels of anxiety due to the variations in the rhetorical purposes and discourse structures of particular sections. Implications on dealing with research writing anxiety are also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 907-934
Author(s):  
Ladislav Mura ◽  
Tibor Zsigmond ◽  
Renáta Machová

Research background: The research examines the impact of emotional intelligence and ethics on knowledge sharing within organizations. It examines the impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on the ethical behavior of the individual. The focus is on the individuals working in the SME sector. A questionnaire survey was considered the most appropriate technique to conduct the research. The study is based on 1162 responses, collected from three countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia). Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between knowledge sharing, ethics and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, nationality, gender, education, and the age of the respondents influencing EQ are also examined. The additional goal is to explore the factors that influence employee behavior. Methods: We identified four hypotheses. To test these hypotheses, we used variance analysis and logistic regression. The AES scale was chosen to assess EQ, which consisted of 33 items. The results obtained are compared with the opinion of SME owners resulting from structured interviews. Findings & value added: About 20% of enterprises are not using any motivation tool to initiate knowledge sharing of their employees. The most common (47.2%) reason for silencing knowledge ? the lack of appreciation ? did not appear among the answer of company owners. According to the employee perceptions, gender has impact on the level of emotional intelligence, while nationality, education and age group have no impact on the EQ. SME owners do not address much attention to gender. The occurrence of unethical behavior does not depend on the size of the enterprise. According to employee opinion, the EQ has positive impact on knowledge sharing, while it is not affected by ethics. The majority of owners also agreed with the positive impact of EQ. The attitude of employees and owners differ in different aspects. The results have shown that gender plays an influential role in EQ. The research of this complex problem laid down the empirical foundations for the V4 countries.


Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chung-Jen Huang ◽  
Elisa Talla Chicoma ◽  
Yi-Hsien Huang

The micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector plays a very crucial role in the economic and social development of Peru. Unfortunately, the tough access to the use of technologies is one of the weaknesses of this type of enterprises, which implies a low technological intensity production, according to the new technological trends. This study analyzes the factors that are affecting the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies in Peruvian micro, small, and medium enterprises. According to the findings from the semi-structured interviews, it has identified four factors that respond to the main question of this research—lack of advanced technology, lack of financial investment, poor management vision, and lack of skilled workers. Data from 49 enterprises from the manufacturing sector were used for the assessment. The surveys conducted on business managers were evaluated using a multi-criterion decision-making method by the analytic hierarchy process. The findings of the study generate some recommendations that could be beneficial for the sectors involved with micro, small, and medium enterprises in Peru.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Tommasi ◽  
Marco Perini ◽  
Riccardo Sartori

PurposeGiven the exponential and massive technological disruption in work that Industry 4.0 will lead to, nowadays, authors and practitioners within the field of education and training are witnessing increased attention on the features of and threats to employability and integration in current labor transformations. The purpose of this paper is to address current education and training challenges as related to the fourth industrial revolution by investigating which skills and competences will be crucial for the 4.0 era.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative field study with semi-structured interviews has been conducted. Qualitative data on a sample of N = 16 vocational training experts has been analyzed via the grounded theory approach for a bottom-up perspective on Industry 4.0 competences.FindingsData analysis revealed a partial consensus between current scientific literature and practitioners' views on skills and competences for Industry 4.0. Indeed, practioners support the need for a mix of competences comprising the broad group of disciplines of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), technical skills and transversal competences. Moreover, the perspective of practitioners supports a multilevel comprehension of the needs of Industry 4.0 for education and training. Drawing on these findings, an evaluation tool for an applied field intervention for inclusion in the labor market is proposed.Originality/valueThe paper advances current knowledge within the field of education and training by proposing a novel perspective to address market integration as a means to tackle the risk of technological disruption.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-86
Author(s):  
Mónika Fodor ◽  
Katalin Jäckel ◽  
Tibor Pál Szemere ◽  
Bernadett Almádi

Abstract Objective: Our study presents the partial results of the research with the Z generation, which aims to get acquainted with and explore the specific features of selecting Human Resources Professionals (HR) in order to increase employment, especially through the applicability of the tools of employee branding. Our main objective is to explore the tools that can be implemented in the branding process for the potential employees of the Z generation and to demonstrate the practical applicability of these elements to improve investment. In addition, we aim to explore the generational-specific characteristics of investments, what challenges should be addressed today by a HR specialist, what solutions and practices are used in relation to the relevant response to these challenges. Methodology: In this publication, we present the partial results of a research project, supported by the New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Resources (ÚNKP-18-3-III). In the first phase of the research project, we conducted a qualitative examination (B2C, B2B), in which we conducted thirty mini-focus interviews (using semi-structured interview guides). The subjects were recruited using a snowball sampling method, the filtering condition was the age of the subject. Only the subjects remained in the sample who, according to their age, belong to the Z generation. Findings: As a result of this research, we can see what the HR specialists interviewed think the benefits of employer branding are if they are able to act with a conscious and strategic approach to HR activities. Investigating consumer attitudes related to investments - despite the recognition of their significance - is less well-researched, and articles of empirical research also appear in international literature today. In order to fill the gap, we would like to contribute to Hungarian studies. Value Added: In our view, the results can provide useful information to companies who have similar difficulties in dealing with recruitment challenges and generational differences. In this paper we present the qualitative partial results of primary research. Both secondary and primary research show that a key factor for successful companies is the existence of a credible, internal employer branding strategy that continuously reflects on the labour market challenges. It is important that the employer’s brand - just like a product / service brand – should be well-positioned with clear values and messages. The other important aspect is the coordination of the activities of the individual groups and areas, because marketing, PR and HR are the builders and representatives of the same brand. You can then be successful and credible with your employer branding if all the details – similarly to a puzzle - are in place Recommendations: Without the strategic approach, the directions, the goals, and the alignment of the activities are not identified, which is reflected in inefficiencies. The employer’s brand has a well-positioned value, message and mission, which plays an especially important role in increasing the loyalty of young people (Y and Z generations).


2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Hagemann

Abstract. The individual attitudes of every single team member are important for team performance. Studies show that each team member’s collective orientation – that is, propensity to work in a collective manner in team settings – enhances the team’s interdependent teamwork. In the German-speaking countries, there was previously no instrument to measure collective orientation. So, I developed and validated a German-language instrument to measure collective orientation. In three studies (N = 1028), I tested the validity of the instrument in terms of its internal structure and relationships with other variables. The results confirm the reliability and validity of the instrument. The instrument also predicts team performance in terms of interdependent teamwork. I discuss differences in established individual variables in team research and the role of collective orientation in teams. In future research, the instrument can be applied to diagnose teamwork deficiencies and evaluate interventions for developing team members’ collective orientation.


Author(s):  
Le Thi My Hanh ◽  
Luis Alfaro ◽  
Tran Phuong Thao

This world is constantly changing and rapidly moving,-particular in the Industry 4.0 revolution, people must change to follow and keeping with this new trend. Education is the human foundation toward the “Truth - Good - Beautiful”, and comprehensive development of personal competencies as knowledge, skills and behaviors. A nation, such as Vietnam, if they want to integrate into global economy and affirming their position, they will need the “Talented - Virtuous” human resource who could meet the high demand of society. The purpose of this study was to propose a model of competency value chain at individual level for the educational managers, analyzing some factors of this value chain model and how to apply to Vietnamese education system in the fourth Industry era. The authors wanted to focus on the social value added that the educational managers’competency could bring as the result of this research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 60-61
Author(s):  
Johan Suen

Abstract For holistic interventions and research on dementia, it is fundamental to understand care experiences from the perspectives of carers, care recipients, and care professionals. While research on care dyads and triads have highlighted the effects of communication and interactional aspects on care relationships, there is a lack of knowledge on how individual-contextual and relational factors shape the provision and receipt of care in terms of decision-making processes, resource allocation, and expectations of care outcomes. Thus, this paper sheds light on (i) how carers negotiate care provision with other important life domains such as employment, household/family roles and conflicts, as well as their own health problems, life goals, values, and aspirations for ageing; (ii) how older adults with dementia perceive support and those who provide it; (iii) the structural constraints faced by care professionals in delivering a team-based mode of dementia care; and, taken together, (iv) how community-based dementia care is impeded by barriers at the individual, relational, and institutional levels. Findings were derived from semi-structured interviews and observational data from fieldwork conducted with 20 persons with dementia (median age = 82), 20 of their carers (median age = 60), and 4 professional care providers. All respondents were clients and staff of a multidisciplinary and community-based dementia care system in Singapore. Our analysis indicates the impact of dementia care is strongly mediated by the interplay between institutional/familial contexts of care provision and the various ‘orientations’ to cognitive impairment and seeking support, which we characterised as ‘denial/acceptance’, ‘obligated’, ‘overprotective’, and ‘precariously vulnerable’.


2021 ◽  
pp. 109442812199190
Author(s):  
Mikko Rönkkö ◽  
Eero Aalto ◽  
Henni Tenhunen ◽  
Miguel I. Aguirre-Urreta

Transforming variables before analysis or applying a transformation as a part of a generalized linear model are common practices in organizational research. Several methodological articles addressing the topic, either directly or indirectly, have been published in the recent past. In this article, we point out a few misconceptions about transformations and propose a set of eight simple guidelines for addressing them. Our main argument is that transformations should not be chosen based on the nature or distribution of the individual variables but based on the functional form of the relationship between two or more variables that is expected from theory or discovered empirically. Building on a systematic review of six leading management journals, we point to several ways the specification and interpretation of nonlinear models can be improved.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M. Zoellner ◽  
Kathleen J. Porter ◽  
Donna-Jean P. Brock ◽  
Emma Mc Kim Mitchell ◽  
Howard Chapman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The objectives are to: 1) describe engagement processes used to prioritize and address regional comprehensive cancer control needs among a Community-Academic Advisory Board (CAB) in the medically-underserved, rural Appalachian region, and 2) detail longitudinal CAB evaluation findings. Methods This three-year case study (2017–2020) used a convergent parallel, mixed-methods design. The approach was guided by community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, the Comprehensive Participatory Planning and Evaluation process, and Nine Habits of Successful Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalitions. Meeting artifacts were tracked and evaluated. CAB members completed quantitative surveys at three time points and semi-structured interviews at two time points. Quantitative data were analyzed using analysis of variance tests. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via an inductive-deductive process. Results Through 13 meetings, Prevention and Early Detection Action Teams created causal models and prioritized four cancer control needs: human papillomavirus vaccination, tobacco control, colorectal cancer screening, and lung cancer screening. These sub-groups also began advancing into planning and intervention proposal development phases. As rated by 49 involved CAB members, all habits significantly improved from Time 1 to Time 2 (i.e., communication, priority work plans, roles/accountability, shared decision making, value-added collaboration, empowered leadership, diversified funding, trust, satisfaction; all p < .05), and most remained significantly higher at Time 3. CAB members also identified specific challenges (e.g., fully utilizing member expertise), strengths (e.g., diverse membership), and recommendations across habits. Conclusion This project’s equity-based CBPR approach used a CPPE process in conjunction with internal evaluation of cancer coalition best practices to advance CAB efforts to address cancer disparities in rural Appalachia. This approach encouraged CAB buy-in and identified key strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities that will lay the foundation for continued involvement in cancer control projects. These engagement processes may serve as a template for similar coalitions in rural, underserved areas.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document