Aligning workplace wellness with global change: an integrated model

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 909-923
Author(s):  
Eli Sopow

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to present evidence for a new model of change management designed to create a continuous integrated alignment between ongoing external organizational change and the proven internal environmental factors related to employee emotional wellness and workplace engagement that in turn directly impact organizational performance relationships within society and the human condition.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a quantitative approach based on both primary and secondary data. The secondary data includes an analysis of the 2018 Public Service Employee Survey of Canada (N = 163,121) conducted by the Government of Canada while the primary data involves a 2018 employee survey conducted by the author of both civilian and sworn police officer employees with the British Columbia division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (N = 2,129) as well as a 2019 survey by the author of Corrections Officers at the Kent Maximum Security Institution in Agassiz, British Columbia (N = 174).FindingsThe key findings presented in this paper provide new evidence that correlations between key organizational workplace factors and employee wellness and performance are directly linked to the ability to address rapidly evolving external environmental factors; that traditional change management approaches are often insufficient to create a positive nexus between the results of environmental scanning and internal workplace environments; and that a new holistic model described in this paper can serve as a powerful diagnostic tool for change managers to identify how internal organizational structures, systems and climates can harmonize with external climates including societal expectations, economic and technological change and public policy.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings pertain to about 100,000 employees of the Canadian public service and their readiness to manage well-established external environmental factors based on their rating of key internal environmental factors rated to workplace wellness and employee emotional health. Further research on the topic of external/internal organizational change adaptability is required specific to private sector organizations.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of the change management matrix diagnostic model have been proven in earlier beta testing with a group of organizational executives. The presentation of the data in the matrix format resulted in quick and clear identification of major areas of required change. Those changes resulted in improved service delivery, public safety and public trust. A second test was conducted by MBA students successfully applying the matrix model to identify key areas requiring change in various case studies.Social implicationsSociety at present has many new expectations of organizational behavior and citizenship as rapid changes in external environments occur including changes to technology, corporate governance, communications, economic conditions, social values, demographics and public policy. A failure by organizations to ensure that their internal environments of corporate culture, structure, systems and the workplace climate are in sync with external change presents major threats to employee and social well-being and organizational success.Originality/valueA unique model of organizational change management is presented that allows for successfully adapting internal organizational environments to the challenges of meeting rapidly advancing integrated external environmental forces. The result becomes an integrated ecosystem of external and internal environmental forces that offer adaptability to complex and evolving challenges ranging from social, economic, technological and climate change.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 782-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rene Paquibut ◽  
Ahmed Al Naamany

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide are required to acquire accreditation for the sake of their academic reputation at the institutional as well as programs levels. Meeting the requirements of standards established by accrediting bodies can be daunting for HEIs undergoing accreditation for the first time. Drastic organizational change is required to overhaul and implement systems to meet the requirements of quality standards. HEIs in the Sultanate of Oman are determined to acquire and maintain institutional accreditation from the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). The purpose of this paper is to describe how a HEI has undergone organizational change to meet the requirement of the research–teaching nexus standard using Lewin’s and McKinsey 7-S change management models. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research which made use of primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected through focus group discussions and workshops, and documents analysis while internet resources were used for secondary data. The dimensions of the research–teaching nexus were determined through review of the literature which became the basis for evaluating the HEI’s practices in the area. Lewin’s and McKinsey 7-S change management models were combined to provide the conceptual framework for describing the process of change the HEI undertook. Findings Lewin’s and McKinsey 7-S change management models allowed for a systemic and systematic perspective of the change required for the HEI to meet the research–teaching nexus standards and acquire institutional accreditation. The HEI documented its practices, conducted an evaluation and instituted the changes in the dimensions of the research–teaching nexus and the supporting 7-S elements. As final result, the HEI was granted institutional accreditation. Research limitations/implications This is a case study of the experience of an HEI in the Sultanate of Oman in its effort to acquire institutional accreditation from the OAAA. However, this case study can provide insights to a larger audience of institutions in Oman and within the Gulf region (or even outside the region) that are in the process of going through a similar experience. For those who have already undergone a similar exercise, this case study can provide a valuable comparison. Practical implications The practical experience of the HEI in the Sultanate of Oman can provide valuable lessons/insights to those in the praxis of educational management and quality assurance in education. Social implications Quality in education is a social issue. HEIs are pressured to acquire and maintain accreditation as evidence of quality. The case study provides the larger audience a perspective of how much effort HEIs place in this aspect. Originality/value This paper documented the experience of an HEI in the Sultanate of Oman. This is the first paper describing an HEI’s change process in a country which is also implementing a new academic accreditation system. In this paper, two change models – Lewin’s and McKinsey’s 7-S – were integrated to provide a more comprehensive perspective in analyzing organizational change. Review of the literature has shown that these two models have not been used together in one paper, providing novelty to otherwise “classic” models. This paper should be valuable to HEIs pursuing accreditation. It is a “universal” knowledge that acquiring accreditation is a major goal of all HEIs worldwide. The described process of organizational change should be insightful to those who are responsible for steering this process with the goal of acquiring accreditation. Educational leaders at the forefront and center of the change process should find in this paper a valuable reference material, providing a systemic and systematic view of the change they have to lead in order to acquire the much-coveted accreditation. Faculty, staff and students of HEIs can be advocates or sources of resistance. This paper should provide better understanding of the process of change and how they, as stakeholders, benefit from it. Finally, students of educational management and leadership should find this paper as a useful case study for class discussion.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Tiron-Tudor ◽  
Delia Deliu ◽  
Nicoleta Farcane ◽  
Adelina Dontu

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to facilitate blockchain innovation immersion in accountancy organizations by providing tools that allow organizations to manage the change. The paper approaches blockchain technology (BT) through the lens of organizational change management, with a specific focus at the organization level.Design/methodology/approachA hybrid systematic literature review of relevant literature is presented based on recent research papers published in highly ranked scientific journals that capture how accounting organizations might manage the changes induced by BT.FindingsThe findings of the review indicate that implementing BT requires some new modus operandi. From individual behavior to organizational structure, the advantages of blockchain must be emphasized in all accounting and auditing organizations. Managers should forge a plan that takes advantage of employees' skills, competencies and talent, implementing forward-looking company procedures and actively deciding how to navigate workplace dynamics, personalities and responsibilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of the study refer to the infancy of the BT and require the development of knowledge through future studies to allow a more accurate outline of the overall picture and a detailed one of the BT phenomena with applicability to accounting and auditing. At this stage, it is not yet possible to fully envision the implications of BT on professional accounting and auditing organizations. However, there will be clients who adopt BTs, so firms should work with them to understand BT-based accounting and auditing applications. That is, accounting and auditing organizations should expand their skills and knowledge to anticipate and meet clients' needs.Practical implicationsIn a constantly digitalizing world, the traditional accounting and educational environment is changing but not quickly enough to meet the requirements of a blockchain accounting system yet. For this reason, practical implications on the daily activities of the organizations and the restructuration of their internal architecture have been revealed in this paper.Originality/valueThe paper approaches blockchain using the lens of organizational change management with a specific focus on the accounting and audit organizations, and it proposes solutions to cope with the arising technological challenges. A challenge itself is the implementation of blockchain, especially when an entity is not ready for the process. Therefore, the SWOT analysis elaborated in this paper and focused on the accounting and auditing firms is an element of novelty and at the same time, a helpful tool highlighting the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of this technology, supporting organizations in assessing how ready they are for its adoption. The research on blockchain in accountancy organizations is still necessary for at least seven key areas which have been proposed and detailed at the end of the paper, bringing in this way clarity in regards to the most endorsed avenues for future research directions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Georg Will

Purpose – This paper aims to show new ways of overcoming resistance during organizational change by applying insights from New Institutional Economics. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that adapts findings from New Institutional Economics. Findings – The paper highlights the relevance of interactions between managers and employees for value creation processes: interactions can generate either win–win or lose–lose situations. By altering the restrictions on managers’ and employees’ behavior, change managers can create mutual benefits for the staff and the firm. The paper thus explicitly considers the individual interests of employees and managers and highlights an approach to link individual interests with the collective interests of the firm by means of appropriate interactions. Additionally, the paper elaborates the relevant factors that determine the success of classical change management measures, like communication or participation, to overcome resistance during organizational change. Research limitations/implications – The developed framework also indicates important conditions where approaches inspired by management, psychological and sociological theories can be successfully applied and where change management will benefit from being complemented by New Institutional Economics. Practical implications – Change managers can optimize inter-organizational competition or cooperation to generate a win–win situation by means of appropriate formal or informal restrictions (like incentives or binding mechanisms). Originality/value – This paper applies insights from New Institutional Economics to show how organizational change can be facilitated by producing mutual benefits. This paper postulates that organizational change often fails or, at the very least, meets with stiff resistance due to dysfunctional interactions within the company. However, such interactions actually contain great opportunities for change managers: by shifting the focus of these interactions, they can generate the potential for win–win situations. In this approach, mutual benefits are a decisive factor in increasing the acceptance to organizational change and overcoming resistance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 43-46

Purpose – The paper aims to observe how the well-being program at public-service infrastructure provider Amey is doing much more than reducing sickness absence; it is helping employees to be happier and more resilient. Design/methodology/approach – It examines the reasons for the well-being program, the form it takes and the results it has achieved. Findings – It reveals that in a recent Kingston University survey, 81 per cent of Amey people reported that they were frequently engaged at work. Sickness absence has dropped from 9.5 days a year to 7.5 days, creating a significant financial saving. Practical implications – It argues that Amey’s commitment to its employees’ well-being and development has helped it to establish a reputation as an employer of choice, which in turn helps it to continue to attract and retain talent. Social implications – It explains how a particular focus has been on encouraging male employees to reveal and work on their emotional problems. Originality/value – It demonstrates how the well-being program has facilitated the process of organizational change at Amey.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-218
Author(s):  
Sunil Sahadev ◽  
Pongsak Hoontrakul

Purpose – This conceptual paper aims to discuss issues relevant to fostering cooperation between India and countries in the ASEAN region in the area of technological innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper, based on insights from the existing body of literature and secondary data. Findings – The study looks at the competitiveness of different countries in the ASEAN region and considers their technological competitiveness vis-à-vis India. Broad policy issues related to fostering technological innovation as well as the main advantages of such collaboration are discussed. Research limitations/implications – This is a conceptual paper mainly intended for discussion. Practical implications – The paper provides guidelines for fostering technological innovation and could, therefore, help policy development. Originality/value – Although the Indo-ASEAN free-trade agreement is helping trade flow between the countries in the region, the potential for technological collaborations still lies unutilised. This paper looks at the possibilities for such collaborations and is one of the few papers that consider this line of thinking.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungwon Yeo ◽  
Eun Sun Lee

Purpose This study aims to examine and understand South Korea’s (S. Korea) COVID-19 response operations, a notable case for other countries to emulate, and suggest some practical implications for other countries struggling with coping with the current pandemic. Design/methodology/approach To examine the case, the authors propose a new theoretical framework based on concepts of the whole community approach in the emergency management field and on co-production in public administration studies, and use the theoretical framework to analyze the details of S. Korea’s whole community co-production for COVID-19 response. Findings The findings demonstrate that the successful pandemic response in S. Korea is attributable to a nationwide whole community co-production among multiple actors, including government, various industries, sectors, jurisdictions and even individual citizens, within and across relevant public service and public policy domains. Originality/value This study suggests a new theoretical framework, whole community co-production, which contributes to the conceptual advancement of co-production in the field of public administration and a whole community approach in the field of emergency and crisis management. The framework also suggests practical implications for other countries to integrate whole community coproduction that may transform current response operations to cope with COVID-19.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Khan ◽  
Michelle Callanan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the confusing use of terminology associated with tourism undertaken by Muslims and to identify key concerns associated with this type of tourism. Design/methodology/approach This is an exploratory study and adopts a critical review of literature following the evolutionary concept analysis method. Content analysis of popular UK media, UK-based tour operators’ websites and tourism strategies of destinations popular with Muslim tourists were conducted to examine the use of terminology. Findings There is no clear difference between the various terms (halal, Muslim friendly, Islamic, etc.) used. Overall, academia uses the term Islamic tourism, while the industry and media use various terms. Among destinations, however, there is no clear and consistent use of terminology. A key concern of Islamic tourism is the role of certification in assuring travellers and the lack of standardisation of halal certification. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on literature review and secondary data analysis. It lacks primary research. Practical implications This study highlights the need for consistent use of terminology across industry. Another implication is the issue surrounding halal certification of food and the importance of trust in the seller/service provide. Another trend that industry providers need to consider is the growth of the Muslim millennial traveller and the needs of this market segment. Originality/value The paper highlights the importance of studying the Muslim tourist market and provides a starting point for further research. It highlights several issues such as the need to develop a typology of Muslim tourists. Of particular interest is the concern whether halal values in danger of being commodified in the absence of a universal agreed criterion for halal certification.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Crestani ◽  
Jill Fenton Taylor

PurposeThis duoethnography explores feelings of belonging that emerged as being relevant to the participants of a doctoral organisational change study. It challenges the prolific change management models that inadvertently encourage anti-belonging.Design/methodology/approachA change management practitioner and her doctoral supervisor share their dialogic reflections and reflexivity on the case study to open new conversations and raise questions about how communicating belonging enhances practice. They draw on Ubuntu philosophy (Tutu, 1999) to enrich Pinar's currere (1975) for understandings of belonging, interconnectedness, humanity and transformation.FindingsThe authors show how dialogic practice in giving employees a voice, communicating honestly, using inclusive language and affirmation contribute to a stronger sense of belonging. Suppressing the need for belonging can deepen a communication shadow and create employee resistance and alienation. Sharing in each other's personal transformation, the authors assist others in better understanding the feelings of belonging in organisational change.Practical implicationsPractitioners will need to challenge change initiatives that ignore belonging. This requires thinking of people as relationships, rather than as numbers or costs, communicating dialogically, taking care with language in communicating changes and facilitating employees to be active participants where they feel supported.Originality/valueFor both practice and academy, this duoethnography highlights a need for greater humanity in change management practices. This requires increasing the awareness and understanding of an interconnectedness that lies at the essence of belonging or Ubuntu (Tutu, 1999).


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew James Perkins

Purpose This paper aims to contend that when tackling financial crimes such as money laundering and terrorist financing, international regulators are seeking to hold offshore jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands to higher standards and that this detracts from the pursuit of detecting and prosecuting money launders. Design/methodology/approach This paper will deal with the following perceived issues: firstly, to offshore jurisdictions as a concept; secondly, to outline the efforts made by the Cayman Islands to combat money laundering and to rate these changes against Financial Action Task Forces’ (FATAF’s) technical criteria; thirdly, to demonstrate that the Cayman Islands is among some of the world’s top jurisdictions for compliance with FATAF’s standards; and finally, to examine whether greylisting was necessary and to comment upon whether efforts by international regulators to hold offshore jurisdictions to higher standards detracts from the actual prosecution of money laundering within the jurisdiction. Findings Greylisting the Cayman Islands in these authors’ view was something that should have never happened; the Cayman Islands is being held to standards far beyond what is expected in an onshore jurisdiction. There is a need for harmonisation in respect of international anti money laundering rules and regulations to shift the tone to prosecution and investigation of offences rather than on rating jurisdictions technical compliance with procedural rules where states have a workable anti-money laundering (AML) regime. Research limitations/implications The implications of this research are to show that offshore jurisdictions are being held by FATAF and other international regulators to higher AML standards than their onshore counterparties. Practical implications The author hopes that this paper will begin the debate as to whether FATAF needs to give reasons as to why offshore jurisdictions are held to higher standards and whether it needs to begin to contemplate higher onshore standards. Originality/value This is an original piece of research evaluating the effect of FATAF's reporting on offshore jurisdictions with a case study involving primary and secondary data in relation to the Cayman Islands.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (50) ◽  
pp. 425-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalita A. Manrai ◽  
Ajay K. Manrai ◽  
Stefanie Friedeborn

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature and develop a model of the determinants, indicators and effects of destination competitiveness (DC), as well as several propositions. Design/methodology/approach This study thoroughly reviewed extant literature to develop a conceptual model and propositions. Findings Two key findings are listed below. First, 12 different environmental factors are identified and 12 propositions are developed linking these environmental factors to DC. Second, a new indicator of DC is developed, namely, Tourism Attractions-Basics-Context (TABC) model. The TABC model is simple and directly taps into the benefits tourists seek in a destination. Research limitations/implications Directions for future research are discussed in detail in the paper. Practical implications Managerial implications are discussed in detail in the paper. Originality/value The extant research on the topic of DC has been rather fragmented and incomplete in scope. The research presented in this paper addresses these limitations.


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