The factors behind working in virtual community

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anitha Acharya
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Substantial Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Hourly Basis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose In this paper, the prior research on virtual teams was reviewed to assess the state of the literature. The purpose of this paper is to determine why individuals prefer working in virtual teams (also termed liquid workers and part-time workers). Previous researchers have focussed on the benefits that organizations receive if they hire liquid workers, but to date, no research has been conducted to determine the perspective of these liquid workers. The various definitions of virtual teams are discussed and an integrative definition is proposed that suggests all teams may be defined in terms of their extent of virtualness. Design/methodology approach A systematic review of the literature on virtual teams was conducted. The data were collected from 12 informants. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings Six main themes were identified, namely, pliability, opportunities, increased earnings, vigour, family and transportation. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in a three-metropolitan city in India and warrants being extended to rural and international settings to gain additional insights and confirmation of the research findings. Practical implications It is suggested that organizations who recruit liquid workers will be in a position for substantial cost savings; this is because organizations usually make payment of liquid workers’ wages on an hourly basis. This will help the organizations to schedule the number of working hours depending on their needs. Originality/value The current study is novel as there is a paucity of research in identifying the factors behind working in the virtual community in India. This study presents the first research of its kind to the best knowledge of the author, and the findings will be valuable for companies who are looking for cost savings.

Employee's lying behavior and the role of self-awareness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Chang ◽  
Sylvain Max ◽  
Jérémy Celse
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Employee’s lying behavior has become ubiquitous at work, and managers are keen to know what can be done to curb such behavior. Managers often apply anti-lying strategies in their management and, in particular, the role of self-awareness on lying intervention has drawn academic attention recently. Drawing on multi-disciplinary literature, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of self-awareness in reducing lying behavior. Design/methodology/approach Following the perspectives of positivism and deductive reasoning, a quasi-experimental research approach was adopted. Employees from Dijon, France were recruited as research participants. Based on the literature, different conditions (scenario manipulation) were designed and implemented in the laboratory, in which participants were exposed to pre-set lying opportunities and their responses were analyzed accordingly. Findings Unlike prior studies which praised the merits of self-awareness, the authors found that self-awareness did not decrease lying behavior, not encouraging the confession of lying either. Employees actually lied more when they believed other employees were lying. Practical implications This study suggests managers not to rely on employee’s self-awareness; rather, the concept of self-awareness should be incorporated into the work ethics, and managers should schedule regular workshops to keep employees informed of the importance of ethics. When employees are regularly reminded of the ethics and appreciate its importance, their intention of lying is more likely to decrease. Originality/value To the best of the atuhors’ knowledge, the current research is the first in its kind to investigate lying intervention of employees in the laboratory setting. Research findings have brought new insights into the lying intervention literature, which has important implication on the implementation of anti-lying strategies.

The aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic period: barriers in implementation of social distancing at workplace

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kashif Abbass ◽  
Abdul Aziz Khan Niazi ◽  
Tehmina Fiaz Qazi ◽  
Abdul Basit ◽  
Huaming Song
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Matrix Multiplication ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Employees With Disabilities ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe study aims to investigate the barriers in implementing social distancing at the workplace as an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic period.Design/methodology/approachStudy design consists of a review of literature, data collection and analysis. It encompasses identification, verification and analysis of the relationships among the barriers. Data have been collected from a panel of experts on matrix-type questionnaires from workplaces. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) augmented with “Matrice d' Impacts Croise's Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (Cross Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification)” (MICMAC) for structural analysis.FindingsThe literature has identified twenty major barriers to implementing social distancing at the workplace. The research findings reveal/show that the barrier “matter of disrespect” occupies the bottom level in the ISM model. Therefore, it is the most critical barrier; whereas, employees with disabilities and “herding culture” are crucial as they occupy the next lowest level, therefore, are crucial. Moreover, there are ten barriers positioned in the middle of the model having moderate-severe effects, and seven falls on the top level of the model having relatively less severe effects. Results of MICMAC affirm and avow the results of ISM.Research limitations/implicationsThe study will have profound theoretical and practical implications for stakeholders since it provides lot of new useful and valuable information, gives relational insights and determines priorities subject to usual limitations of survey research.Originality/valueIt is an original attempt to make some sense of practicability of social distancing for stakeholders including policymakers, frontline health workers and public at large.

Knowledge transfer in IS offshoring: a Delphi study of the offshore coordinator role

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Strasser ◽  
Markus Westner ◽  
Susanne Strahringer
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Strong Consensus ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Is Offshoring

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the main tasks, necessary skills, and the implementation of the offshore coordinator’s role to facilitate knowledge transfer in information systems (IS) offshoring. Design/methodology/approach This empirical exploratory study uses the classical Delphi method that includes one qualitative and two quantitative rounds to collect data on IS experts’ perceptions to seek a consensus among them. Findings The participants agreed, with strong consensus, for a set of 16 tasks and 15 skills. The tasks focused primarily on relationship management and facilitating knowledge transfer on different levels. The set of skills consists of approximately 25 per cent “hard” skills, e.g. professional language skills and project management skills, and approximately 75 per cent “soft” skills, e.g. interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to deal with conflict. Two factors mainly influence implementing the offshore coordinator role: project size and the number of projects to be supported simultaneously. Practical implications The findings provide indications of how to define and fulfill this crucial role in practice to facilitate the knowledge transfer process in a positive way. Originality/value Similarities in previous research findings are aggregated to examine the intermediate role in detail from a consolidated perspective. This results in the first comprehensive set of critical tasks and skills assigned to the competency dimensions of the universal competency framework, demonstrating which and how many competency dimensions are critical.

scholarly journals The Stopit! programme to reduce bullying and undermining behaviour in hospitals

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Benmore ◽  
Steven Henderson ◽  
Joanna Mountfield ◽  
Brian Wink
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Training Interventions ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Q Sort ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The impact of bullying and undermining behaviours on the National Health Service on costs, patient safety and retention of staff was well understood even before the Illing report, published in 2013, that reviewed the efficacy of training interventions designed to reduce bullying and harassment in the outputs. The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of a good programme well evaluated. Design/methodology/approach The methodology follows a broad realist approach, by specifying the underlying programme assumptions and intention of the designers. Three months after the event, Q-sort methodology was employed to group participants into one of three contexts – mechanism – output groups. Interviews were then undertaken with members of two of these groups, to evaluate how the programme had influenced each. Findings Q-sort identified a typology of three beneficiaries from the Stopit! workshops, characterised as professionals, colleagues and victims. Each group had acted upon different parts of the programme, depending chiefly upon their current and past experiences of bullying in hospitals. Research limitations/implications The paper demonstrates the effectiveness of using Q-sort method to identify relevant CMOs in a realist evaluation framework. Practical implications The paper considers the effectiveness of the programme to reduce bullying, rather than teach victims to cope, and how it may be strengthened based upon the research findings and Illing recommendations. Social implications Workplace bullying is invariably implicated in scandals concerning poor hospital practice, poor patient outcomes and staff illness. All too frequently, the sector responds by offering training in resilience, which though helpful, places the onus on the victim to cope rather than the employer to reduce or eliminate the practice. This paper documents and evaluates an attempt to change workplace practices to directly address bullying and undermining. Originality/value The paper describes a new programme broadly consistent with Illing report endorsements. Second, it illustrates a novel evaluation method that highlights rigorously the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes at the pilot stage of an intervention identifies contexts and mechanisms via factor analysis using Q-sort methodology.

Commitment among adjunct faculty

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1209-1220
Author(s):  
Heidi Reeder
Keyword(s):  
Adjunct Faculty ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Adjunct Instructors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Time Position ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeWithout the stability of tenure, adjunct faculty have few barriers to leave their position. The purpose of this article is to understand the variables that predict commitment among adjunct instructors.Design/methodology/approachThis paper statistically analyzed data from a survey completed by adjunct instructors at two 4-year universities. The survey included scales on commitment, satisfaction, investments, alternatives and the psychological concepts of grit and self-efficacy. In addition, a qualitative analysis was conducted on supplemental open-ended questions that allowed participants to describe the basis of their commitment.FindingsSatisfaction and investments were the main predictors of commitment and those together accounted for just over 50 percent of the variance. Grit and self-efficacy did not correlate with commitment, but did correlate with satisfaction and investments.Practical implicationsGiven the predictive power of satisfaction to explain commitment, understanding the specific rewards and costs experienced by this population can give administrators ideas for making the part-time position more appealing. Similarly, given the predictive power of investments, administrators might consider identifying avenues for adjunct faculty to contribute to the department and university in a meaningful and rewarding way.Originality/valueUniversities are increasingly dependent on adjunct instructors, so it is worthwhile to understand the experience of such faculty. This is best done through research, rather than relying on assumptions, stereotype or anecdotes.

Harmony-oriented retail innovations and financial performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónika Anetta Alt ◽  
Zombor Berezvai ◽  
Irma Agárdi
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Sales Growth ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Innovation Outcomes

PurposeRecently, a growing need for harmony has been observed worldwide. Harmony is a universal value in both Western and Asian countries. This paper aims to study how the concept of harmony is reflected in the innovation of European multinational grocery retailers and how harmony-related innovations affect the financial performance of the retailers.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a multisource database including innovation outcomes and financial performance indicators of 17 European multinational grocery retailers in the period of 2011–2018. In sum, 1,399 innovations were identified by content analysis. The relationship between innovation outcomes and financial performance was measured by panel regression analysis.FindingsResults indicate that retailers differ in launching harmony-oriented innovations. Moreover, 40% more innovations are related to harmony with people as those related to harmony with nature. Finally, harmony-with-people innovations have a significantly positive effect on retailers' sales growth.Practical implicationsBased on the research findings, retailers can improve their sales growth by launching innovations that focus on harmony in human relationships.Originality/valueThis paper extended the concept of harmony to the field of innovations. First, the research showed how the value of harmony appears in the innovations of multinational retailers. Second, the study differentiated between harmony-with-people and harmony-with-nature innovations. Third, the findings revealed that harmony-oriented innovations contribute to retailers' financial performance.

The rationale of part-time farming: empirical evidence from Norway

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Mittenzwei ◽  
Stefan Mann
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Apparent Contradiction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Part Time ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Outside farming, pluriactivity is generally considered as undesirable, whereas agricultural economists tend to recommend part-time farming. This contradiction is to be solved. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Linking tax-payer and statistical farm-level data from Norway, the authors tested how profitable part-time farming is for Norwegian farm households. Findings The analysis showed that concentrating on either working on-farm or off-farm generates a higher household income than combining the two. Practical implications Part-time farming may be a lifestyle decision, but apparently is not economically optimal for most farms. Originality/value The contribution solves an apparent contradiction between the discourses inside and outside agriculture.

scholarly journals Organizational cognitive neuroscience – potential (non-) implications for practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J.R. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Translational Activity ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Leadership And Organization ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential implications and non-implications for leadership and organization development of a recent systematic review of empirical developments in organizational cognitive neuroscience (OCN). Design/methodology/approach Butler et al.’s (2016) systematic review of 40 empirical articles related to OCN is re-interpreted in terms of its potential to reveal (non-) implications for practice. OCN is critically discussed, then related to the research findings from studies with two methodological designs. Findings At this stage of OCN’s emergence, it appears that neuroimaging and physiology-based research methods have equal potential in their implications for practice, though hormonal data poses ethical public interest dilemmas. Both methods cannot be reduced to specific forms of application to practice, but they set an aspirational direction for the future development of leadership and organizations. Practical implications There appear to be two paces of translational activity – practitioners are moving more quickly than academics in applying OCN to practice. It is suggested that a meeting of minds may be needed to ensure that any risks associated with applying OCN to practice are minimized or eliminated. Social implications Inter-disciplinary research, like OCN, requires a social consensus about how basic research in cognitive neuroscience can be applied to organizations. A think tank will provide opportunities for deeper engagement and co-production between academics and practitioners. Originality/value Critically exploring the potential implications of OCN for practice, by basing the discussion on a systematic review of empirical developments.

TIP TIG: new technology for welding

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 462-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Mig Welding ◽  
Typical Application ◽  
Good Opportunity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Welding Technology ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe paper aims to report on a new welding technology, TIP TIG.Design/methodology/approachThe principle of operation and benefits of the technology are described together with a typical application.FindingsThe study finds that the technology provides the quality of TIG welding at the speeds of MIG welding, providing significant cost savings to the user.Practical implicationsTIP TIG provides a good opportunity for all users of robotic MIG welding to improve the quality of their product and reduce their costs.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a new and useful technology to the robot industry.

scholarly journals Renegotiating power in adult safeguarding: the role of advocacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah P. Lonbay ◽  
Toby Brandon
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North East ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The increased involvement of adults at risk in the safeguarding process has become a prominent issue within English safeguarding policy. However, there is evidence to suggest that actual levels of involvement are still low. The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a PhD study in relation to the benefits of advocacy in supporting this involvement in adult safeguarding for older people. Design/methodology/approach Participants in the study included advocates and social workers who had experience of working with older people through the safeguarding process within two North East England local authorities. A critical realist approach through in-depth interviews was taken with all the participants. Findings The research findings in relation to the benefits of advocacy in supporting older people going through safeguarding processes are reported. The practical limitations and factors which help and hinder advocacy support within the process are also considered. The theoretical implications for power, empowerment, and advocacy are also explored. Research limitations/implications A key limitation of this research is that it did not include older people who had been through safeguarding amongst the participants. Practical implications Key implications for practice and policy are discussed. Originality/value The paper provides an overview and critique of empowerment in adult safeguarding and the role that advocates play in promoting this key principle.

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