Social ludic activities: a polymorphous form of organizational play

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 524-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Spraggon ◽  
Virginia Bodolica
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Job Design ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to contribute to the field of workplace play by introducing the notion of social ludic activities (SLAs) as a specific form of play in organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The conceptualization of SLAs is built upon insights from the practice and organizational play literatures. Findings – SLAs can be deployed not only for productively engaging with work but also as an instrument to resist authority, boycott work or challenge firm contingencies. The particular enactments of SLAs may be influenced by how employees perceive and interpret the organizational climate (i.e. corporate culture, management style, job design and task complexity, and intra-firm interactions) in which they are embedded. Practical implications – The recognition that emergent forms of play may be conducive to the generation of valuable outcomes without managerial intervention can save managers’ time and efforts required for dealing with potential employees’ resistance. Taking advantage from spontaneous manifestations of play implies understanding the logic of players and creating favorable corporate contexts for the emergence of SLAs rather than attempting to interfere in the natural experiences of flow. Originality/value – SLAs are conceived as an alternative form of organizational play that is a priori unselfconscious and emergent, inherits autotelic and rational dimensions from prior views of play, draws upon practice insights, and represents the employee perspective.

Sustaining corporate culture in a world of hybrid work

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Buell Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the challenges to sustaining corporate culture in a world of hybrid working. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a review of current literature on the impact of remote and hybrid working on white-collar employees. Findings There is little consensus on whether remote/hybrid working will harm or strengthen corporate culture. Research limitations/implications The viewpoint is a subjective assessment of a limited number of articles on the subject Practical implications It is not entirely clear how those responsible for corporate culture can act on the findings. Social implications In a world in which corporations are experiencing a shortage of talent, how they handle corporate culture will be increasingly important. Originality/value While much has been written on the impact of remote working, this viewpoint takes the original view that strong corporate cultures rely more on the attitudes and actions of individual employees that company programs or initiatives.

Blinded by the light? Analyzing sustainability authenticity, customer service perceptions, and halo effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Amos ◽  
Sebastian Brockhaus ◽  
Amydee M. Fawcett ◽  
Stanley E. Fawcett ◽  
A. Michael Knemeyer
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate how service perceptions influence customer views of the authenticity of corporate sustainability claims. The goal of this paper is to help supply chain decision-makers better understand boundary conditions in order to design more enduring and impactful sustainability programs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ behavioral experiments, subjecting two theoretically derived hypotheses to verification across five diverse industries and two distinct sustainability vignettes.FindingsCustomer service perceptions emerge as a significant boundary condition to the perceived authenticity of sustainability efforts. Subjects attributed significantly higher authenticity toward sustainability efforts in above average vs below average service quality contexts. Further, respondents attributed deceptive motivations to sustainability efforts at companies with below average service.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors confirm the underlying tenet of social judgment theory, which suggests thata prioriperceptions create a zone of acceptability or rejection. Ultimately, investing in sustainability can lead to counterproductive cynicism.Practical implicationsThe authors infer that customers’ willingness to give companies credit for sustainability initiatives extends beyond service issues to any practice that influencesa prioriperceptions. Supply chain managers must rethink their role in designing both customer service and sustainability systems to achieve positive returns from sustainability investments.Originality/valueThe authors challenge the assumption that customers universally positively view sustainability efforts. If customers holda priorinegative service perceptions, otherwise well-designed sustainability programs may invoke cynical reactions. Thus, sustainability programs may not inoculate firm reputations from adverse incidents. Given they touch both service and sustainability systems, supply chain managers are positioned to holistically influence their design for competitive advantage.

Gaming the system

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 31-33
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modern Business ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose of this paper Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings One of the features of modern business is the increased involvement of customers in product and service development. Managers are consistently being told to engage with customers more and create a feedback loop so that what they develop can be enhanced. Articles in glossy executive magazines recommend this approach; product managers recommend this approach; it seems that any firm that did not include its users in enhancing its latest offering is doomed to failure. And yet, what evidence are there that such approaches actually benefit the bottom line? Like many developments in corporate culture previously, does the inclusion of customers in product development make sense, or is it simply another corporate fad? Practical implications Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. What is original/value of paper? The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Behind the veil of employee performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
The Veil ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper creates a model of firm/environmental factors, job-related factors, and employee-related factors that inter-relate and also have varying impacts upon employee performance. The results reveal that job environment, adaptability, intrinsic motivation, and management support have a direct impact on employee performance, all of which can be improved by positive evolutions in management style. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Managers’ reactions to customer vs coworker sexual harassment

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 1211-1227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Madera ◽  
Priyanko Guchait ◽  
Mary Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Implications ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Hospitality Managers ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how managers react to sexual harassment as a function of the harasser role that includes a customer as a source of harassment and an organization’s climate for sexual harassment. Design/methodology/approach Using an experiment with a 2 (harasser role: coworker or customer) × 2 (organizational climate of sexual harassment: tolerates or does not tolerate) between-subjects design, 162 hotel managers were randomly assigned to read one of four conditions. Findings Both the harasser role and organization’s climate for sexual harassment influenced the managers’ sexual harassment reactions, specifically whether they label the incident as sexual harassment and attribute responsibility to the organization. The managers’ gender was found to moderate these relationships. Practical implications The results underscore the importance of understanding reactions to sexual harassment because, regardless of who harasses (coworker or customer) and the organizational climate (tolerates or does not tolerate sexual harassment), sexual harassment of any form can be harmful for the well-being of hospitality employees. These results also provide educational implications. Originality/value This is the first known experimental study to examine how hospitality managers react to sexual harassment when the harasser role includes a customer versus a coworker. The results illustrate that the same sexually harassing behavior was perceived less negatively – in regard to both the labeling and attribution of organizational responsibility – when it was done by a customer than by a coworker.

Training supervisors in the unleashed power of positive psychology and social skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-38
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on how resistance to organizational change displayed by employees can be diffused by training their supervisors in positive psychology and social skills. The results revealed that team members' work motivation and their perception of the organizational climate will become substantially elevated after their supervisors receive this training, in part since it strengthens the employee-supervisor relationship. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Mitigating workplace adversity through employee resilience

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 279-283
Author(s):  
Stephanie Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Job Design ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to present the how resilience can mitigate workplace adversity and human resource practices (HRPs) to build capacity for resilience in employees. Design/methodology/approach A review of the literature was conducted for employee resilience. Findings Resilience can mitigate the negative effects of occupational and workplace adversity on employees. HRPs through job design, training and development and social support were found to foster capacity for resilience in employees and support organizational performance. Practical implications Organizations can use the findings to build organizational and human resource (HR) strategies to develop employee resilience. Originality/value The value of the paper is in presenting how employee resilience can lessen negative effects from workplace adversity and provide HR strategies to build resilience.

How blended learning can create a more inclusive culture

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-122
Author(s):  
Angela Peacock
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Lasting Change

Purpose – The challenges and problems that organizations face nowadays are often due to there being a gap between their current situation and where they want to be. Often this disparity between perception and reality is caused by something deep and fundamental in the company culture – something that may not be readily apparent to those working there. This paper aims to deal with the question of how to create genuine, lasting change in organizational climate so that all employees feel they can bring all of themselves to work, without fear or judgment and with a deep belief that their contributions will be heard. Design/methodology/approach – There are a number of reasons why driving an inclusive culture is so difficult and this paper identifies a new perspective on developing and embedding inclusion. Most importantly, it addresses how a bespoke, blended approach to any input will allow you to implement training that really works. Findings – Many organizations view fixing problems with company culture as an expensive luxury with unpredictable outcomes. As a result, the kind of training that embeds genuine, lasting change is often overlooked in favor of short-term solutions that do not get to the root of the problem. A bespoke, blended approach allows for training that really works long term and therefore ensures the greatest possible value for your organization. Practical implications – A blended approach done well should be a powerful, joined up and strategic driver that enables an inclusive culture to be created, resulting in it becoming business as usual, where the best available talent is attracted, thrives and drives your strategic aims and your business forwards. Originality/value – Often the kind of training that gets done in this area is short term and does not get to the root of the problem. This paper provides guidance in developing and embedding inclusion and although it may challenge beliefs if these principles are followed it will guarantee rapid, lasting improvements at all levels.

Introducing a concept for efficient design of EFQM excellence model

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Amir Bolboli ◽  
Markus Reiche
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Efficient Design ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a roadmap for operationalizing EFQM excellence model based on the RADAR logic and in parallel develop a new concept for selecting the firm-specific EFQM measures based on the level of maturity and the prevailing corporate culture. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive review of literature leads to a clarification of the relation between EFQM measures and RADAR logic and also identification of the requirements for assessment of culture and determination of maturity level in the context of EFQM excellence model. Based on these requirements, existing culture assessment approaches and maturity assessment methods have been evaluated. Findings – The main outcome of this research is a new concept for efficient design of EFQM excellence model. This concept consist of three main parts: assessment of culture types in context of EFQM; assessment of maturity level; and design of EFQM measures based on RADAR logic. The findings are expected to reduce the effort for implementation of EFQM by designing tailored measures that fit to the existing culture and maturity level. Practical implications – The findings of this study are relevant to multinational large firms that deal with EFQM or similar excellence models. Originality/value – This paper presents a new concept for designing EFQM in the light of prevailing corporate culture and maturity level, which in one hand needs fewer resources and on the other hand it is more effective in implementation.

Step-by-step to stopping the cyber-bully

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 31-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Sarkar
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Zero Tolerance ◽  
Job Design ◽  
Cyber Bullying ◽  
Traditional Bullying ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Zero Tolerance Policy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Describes the role of HR in addressing traditional bullying and cyber-bullying at the workplace. Design/methodology/approach – Explains how organizations can design policy guidelines to tackle the issue of bullying and, thereby, help every employee to contribute to his or her best ability. Findings – Argues that the proliferation of electronic communication has made cyber-bullying rampant in workplaces and has devastating effects on some employees. Practical implications – Advances the view that creating a zero-tolerance policy against bullying, using technological help, conducting structured interviews, providing an employee-sensitization program, crafting effective job design and, from time to time, taking employees’ opinion can go a long way in ensuring a safe workplace for all. Social implications – Shows that bullying in any form is a social menace both for employees and the organization, and it needs to be nipped in the bud. Originality/value – Provides insights into how organizations can effectively address the issue of bullying at the workplace.

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