scholarly journals The COVID-19 office in transition: cost, efficiency and the social responsibility business case

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1943-1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee D. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Cost Control ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Financial Returns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Office Design

PurposeThis study aims to critically evaluate the COVID-19 and future post-COVID-19 impacts on office design, location and functioning with respect to government and community occupational health and safety expectations. It aims to assess how office efficiency and cost control agendas intersect with corporate social accountability.Design/methodology/approachTheoretically informed by governmentality and social accountability through action, it thematically examines research literature and Web-based professional and business reports. It undertakes a timely analysis of historical office trends and emerging practice discourse during the COVID-19 global pandemic's early phase.FindingsCOVID-19 has induced a transition to teleworking, impending office design and configuration reversals and office working protocol re-engineering. Management strategies reflect prioritisation choices between occupational health and safety versus financial returns. Beyond formal accountability reports, office management strategy and rationales will become physically observable and accountable to office staff and other parties.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research must determine the balance of office change strategies employed and their evident focus on occupational health and safety or cost control and financial returns. Further investigation can reveal the relationship between formal reporting and observed activities.Practical implicationsOrganisations face strategic decisions concerning both their balancing of employee and public health and safety against capital expenditure and operation cost commitments to COVID-19 transmission prevention. They also face strategic accountability decisions as to the visibility and correspondence between their observable actions and their formal social responsibility reporting.Social implicationsOrganisations have continued scientific management office cost reduction strategies under the guise of innovative office designs. This historic trend will be tested by a pandemic, which calls for control of its spread, including radical changes to the office at potentially significant cost.Originality/valueThis paper presents one of few office studies in the accounting research literature, recognising it as central to contemporary organisational functioning and revealing the office cost control tradition as a challenge for employee and community health and safety.

Employee happiness and corporate social responsibility: the role of organizational culture

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Espasandín-Bustelo ◽  
Juan Ganaza-Vargas ◽  
Rosalia Diaz-Carrion
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Employee Happiness

PurposeThis research explores how does the organizational culture influence internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions and the effect of these actions on the level of happiness of employees.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts an employee perspective since the perception of employees is the unit of analysis. By relying on a sample of 921 workers of firms from different sectors and sizes headquartered in Spain, the empirical analysis is performed using partial least squares.FindingsThe findings evidence that clan and adhocracy cultures highly foster internal CSR practices and that internal CSR activities enhance employees' happiness. The mediating role of internal CSR in the relationship between organizational culture and employee happiness is also found. These results suggest that managers could play a proactive role in fostering internal CSR by designing the organizational culture according to features of clan and adhocracy cultures such as flexibility, innovation, creativity, autonomy, communication, training and support of supervisors.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on a single country, which makes it difficult to generalize the results and guides future research into cross-cultural analysis. Including countries that present differences in their cultural and institutional context would allow to explore the influence of the national context on the business culture, on internal CSR and on employee happiness. This work is also limited in time, as the data used are of a cross-cultural nature.Practical implicationsA greater effort in internal CSR by companies translates into a higher level of happiness for their workers. Specifically, occupational health and safety practices have the greatest influence on employee happiness. Hence, organizations must develop cultures that contribute to promote internal CSR—adhocracy and clan—since this would enhance employees' happiness if the values and beliefs that characterize these cultural configurations are translated into internal CSR practices such as occupational health and safety, work–life balance and equal opportunities.Social implicationsThe improvement of employee happiness creates social value and can be enhanced through an organizational culture that promotes CSR. The research findings might be useful when defining institutional policies to promote job quality, as encouraged by the social policy agenda of the United Nations embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals.Originality/valuePromoting internal CSR through organizational culture will have positive effects for companies internally by enhancing employees' happiness. Therefore, the article contributes to overcome the lack of evidence about the antecedents of internal CSR and its relationship with employees' happiness, an emerging variable in the management literature.

scholarly journals Quantifying the relationship between lean maturity and occupational health and safety

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Sajad Mousavi ◽  
Reza Khani Jazani ◽  
Elizabeth A. Cudney ◽  
Paolo Trucco
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Leading Indicators ◽  
Lean Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Factors ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to quantify the multifaceted relationship between lean implementation and occupational health and safety (OHS) performance. Hypotheses based on a set of antecedents (mediating factors) are built and quantitatively tested. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an international survey with responses from more than 20 countries. Partial least square-based structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical framework derived from literature. Leading indicators (formative indices) were used to evaluate the four antecedents of OHS performance (mediating factors). Findings All the identified antecedents show a significant mediating role. Antecedents related to the working environment and organizational factors have the strongest mediating effect. Results support the importance of using OHS leading indicators to appropriately measure the impact of lean implementation on workers’ health and safety. Research limitations/implications The proposed OHS leading indicators connecting lean practices to OHS performance antecedents are only explored in this study. Therefore, to establish a comprehensive, validated and practically usable set of leading indicators, further research is needed. Practical implications As there are some synergistic and trade-off relationships between lean and safety, the findings of this study will enable managers and organizations to leverage the positive effects of lean implementation on workers’ health and safety and mitigate the negative effects. Originality/value Several prior studies investigated the multifaceted link between lean and OHS; however, this is the first study that tested direct and mediated influence by defining a coherent set of antecedents. The results justify and strongly support the adoption of OHS leading indicators to measure the impact of lean implementation on OHS performance.

Boards of directors' influences on occupational health and safety: a scoping review of evidence and best practices

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ebbevi ◽  
Ulrica Von Thiele Schwarz ◽  
Henna Hasson ◽  
Carl Johan Sundberg ◽  
Mandus Frykman
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type

PurposeTo review the literature and identify research gaps in the role and influence boards of directors of companies have in occupational health and safety (OHS).Design/methodology/approachThis was done in a scoping review built on a structured search in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, CCInfoWeb, EconLit, Web of Science, CINAHL and gray literature. Citations and reference lists were tracked. Inclusion criteria were publication in English. Exclusion criteria were studies covering companies using subcontractors to arrange OHS, or with <250 employees.FindingsForty-nine studies were included. The majority contained empirical data (n = 28; 57%), some were entirely normative (n = 16; 33%), and a few contained normative claims far beyond empirical data (n = 5; 10%). Empirical studies gave no insight into the scope of impact of board activities on OHS, and no studies assess the causal mechanisms by which board activities influence OHS outcomes. Most studies focused on both health and safety (n = 20; 41%) or only safety (n = 15; 31%). Context might explain the focus on safety rather than health, but is not clearly elucidated by the studies. Several studies are describing leadership behavior, although not framed as such. A narrative summary is presented to facilitate future research.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should include: (1) which board activities influence OHS, (2) how board activities influence OHS, (3) the influence of context and (4) the leadership role of boards of directors.Originality/valueThis study identifies a total lack of research on the basic mechanics of the relationship between boards and OHS.

Task performance and occupational health and safety management systems in the garment industry of Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Imranul Hoque ◽  
Md. Shahinuzzaman
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Garment Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Garment Workers ◽  
Individual Task

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between individual task performance of garment workers and occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) in the garment industry of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a quantitative research approach and using a four-stage cluster sampling technique, data collected from 610 workers of twelve garments supplier factories using a structured questionnaire. Mean, standard deviation, correlation and stepwise multiple regressions performed to understand the relationship between task performance and OHSMS.FindingsThe study results demonstrate that occupational health and safety (OHS) policy, benchmarking, worker participation, OHS training, communication, emergency response, preventive and protective action, monitoring and review are the significant predictors of individual task performance of garment workers; and OHS policy contributes most substantially to the variance of task performance in the garment industry of Bangladesh.Research limitations/implicationsThis study’s findings contribute to operations management, human resources management and the health and safety management literature by demonstrating a link between operational performance, human resources management and OHSMS.Practical implicationsThis study could be beneficial for garment suppliers to understand how effective OHSMS can reduce production costs by increasing worker efficiency.Originality/valueThis is a unique research attempt as it considers the task performance dimension of an individual garment worker from the OHS management perspective.

Occupational health and safety management practices and musculoskeletal disorders in aged care

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi Oakman ◽  
Timothy Bartram
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Workplace Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether occupational health and safety (OHS) management used to manage musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the aged care sector reflects contemporary research evidence of best practice to reduce the incidence of these disorders. Design/methodology/approach In total, 58 interviews were conducted with managers and supervisors in the aged care sector across four organisations in Australia. Policies and procedures relating to MSDs were reviewed for each organisation. Findings Policies and procedures for managing MSDs do not reflect contemporary evidence, which supports a complex aetiology, related to a range of physical and psychosocial workplace factors. Despite strong evidence that psychosocial factors contribute to MSD development, these were not included in the policies and procedures reviewed. Findings from the interviews management practices including leadership and various components of HRM were functioning well but fragmentation was evident due to the challenging nature of the aged care sector. Practical implications To address the significant burden of MSDs in the aged care sector, policies and procedures need to include coverage of psychosocial and physical workplace factors. The development of systematic and integrated OHS management at the workplace level may play an important role in the effective management of MSDs. Originality/value This study offers insights into the previously unexplored area of MSD risk management and the role of management practices such as HRM in the aged care sector.

Sensing and warning-based technology applications to improve occupational health and safety in the construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1534-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari ◽  
Heng Li ◽  
Johnny Kwok-Wai Wong ◽  
Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin ◽  
Janet Xin Ge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Technology Applications

Purpose Sensing- and warning-based technologies are widely used in the construction industry for occupational health and safety (OHS) monitoring and management. A comprehensive understanding of the different types and specific research topics related to the application of sensing- and warning-based technologies is essential to improve OHS in the construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current trends, different types and research topics related to the applications of sensing- and warning-based technology for improving OHS through the analysis of articles published between 1996 and 2017 (years inclusive). Design/methodology/approach A standardized three-step screening and data extraction method was used. A total of 87 articles met the inclusion criteria. Findings The annual publication trends and relative contributions of individual journals were discussed. Additionally, this review discusses the current trends of different types of sensing- and warning-based technology applications for improving OHS in the industry, six relevant research topics, four major research gaps and future research directions. Originality/value Overall, this review may serve as a spur for researchers and practitioners to extend sensing- and warning-based technology applications to improve OHS in the construction industry.

Occupational health and safety performance evaluation of countries based on MAIRCA

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gülin Feryal Can ◽  
Muzaffer Bertan Kıran
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Performance Evaluations ◽  
Decision Matrix ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Initial Decision ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Activity Areas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an approach to compare occupational health and safety (OHS) performances of countries. Additionally, another aim is to debate the impacts of using recorded data and ratios for OHS performance evaluations. Design/methodology/approach The number of fatal accidents (NFAs), fatal accident rates (FARs), numbers of lost days (NLDs) and accident severity rates (ASRs) are determined as main criteria and six economic activity areas (EAAs) are considered as sub-criteria. Two different initial decision matrices are used as the initial decision matrix, the first of which consists of recorded data of countries related to NFAs and NLDs, and the second consists of FAR and ASR values as ratios. Importance weights of main and sub-criteria regarding the recorded data and ratios are determined using four different weighting ways. Countries are ranked via utilizing Multi-Attributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis considering two different initial decision matrices. Findings It can be stated that an evaluation based on ratios for comparison of OHS performance provides more realistic results. Additionally, increasing the effect of the FAR values using the 6,000 equivalent lost days factor is also important in terms of differentiating the data of the countries in question. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no study in literature that discusses the ranking of countries by means of recorded data and ratios considering different criteria. Additionally, this study is a first in terms of the number of countries evaluated and the comparison of these countries according to their respective EAAs.

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