A dynamic model of strategic outsourcing with emphasis on human resources and work experience in power industry of Iran

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 2285-2308
Author(s):  
Mohsen Shafie Nikabadi ◽  
Delshad Hoseini
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Electric Power Industry ◽  
Power Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Strategic Outsourcing ◽  
Qualitative Factors

Purpose The production of a good or service requires that the supplier performs a wide range of activities. Many companies are trying to fit outsourcing with the dimensions of their organization. Outsourcing is increasingly being used among Iranian companies in the field of the electric power industry. Human resources are among the factors that consider outsourcing as an obstacle for their growth because staffs declare that the development of outsourcing is a serious threat for unemployment of them and ultimately expulsion from work. Thus, this study surveys the dynamic effects of human resources and work experience on outsourcing decisions. This paper aims to propose a model for dynamic strategic outsourcing focusing on human resource and work experience. Design/methodology/approach Presenting a model for strategic outsourcing can help organizations to resolve their outsourcing problems. The data needed for examining the dynamic impact of human resources and work experience on outsourcing have been compiled using library and field studies. The method used in this study is an integrated approach, so the model could consider the general effects of manpower and present a systematic view. After interviewing with experts in power industry, the causal relationships of the variables were determined, and a dynamic model based on the applications of the dynamic system was developed in VENSIM software. The research model will be completed in a three-year period (2016-2019) in the power industry of Iran. Findings For completing projects in an organization, cooperation between internal employees and external contractors is needed; thus, results based on both external contractors and internal staff have shown that outsourcing through working of a number of contractors will be more effective than frequent use of one contractor. On the other hand, improving the quality of projects could be done by training new employees using skilled and expert employees. Originality/value Existence of one-dimensional models (only with qualitative factors or only with quantitative factors) in the context of outsourcing in the past studies has prompted to study different types of factors together as a dynamic model. This paper presents a quantitative and qualitative model in the field of strategic outsourcing with emphasis on human resources and work experience. In the past studies, there was no way to formulate the qualitative factors, and they simply used the data from the organization, and the only formulation in their works was based on quantitative factors. But in this study, both factors with dynamic modeling have been formulated.

Minds and brains: angels, humans, and brutes

1982 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-315
Author(s):  
Mortimer J. Adler
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Conceptual Thought ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Fine Print

✓ In his 1982 Cushing oration, a distinguished philosopher, author, and discerning critic presents a distillate of his phenomenally wide range of personal experience and his familiarity with the great books and teachers of the present and the past. He explores the differences and relationships between human beings, brute animals, and machines. Knowledge of the brain and nervous system contribute to the explanation of all aspects of animal behavior, intelligence, and mentality, but cannot completely explain human conceptual thought.

HR talent and the new HR competencies

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Ulrich ◽  
Jon Younger ◽  
Wayne Brockbank ◽  
Mike Ulrich
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
University Of Michigan ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Competency Domains ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hr Competencies

PurposeThis article aims to describe partial results of the 2012 Global Human Resources Competency Study (HRCS), led by the RBL Group and the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.Design/methodology/approachOver the past 25 years, this ongoing research project has provided the most global, comprehensive, and empirical identification of the competencies expected of HR professionals, and the impact of these competencies on both individual HR professional effectiveness and business performance.FindingsThis article points out a number of the key findings of the research – including the six fundamental competency domains that HR professionals must demonstrate to impact business performance – and identifies implications of the study findings for HR talent planning, assessment and development.Originality/valueHRCS findings have influenced thousands of HR departments, from global giants to smaller organizations in every continent.

scholarly journals From Nursery to Nursing Home: Emerging Concepts in Clostridioides difficile Pathogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander B. Smith ◽  
Joshua Soto Ocana ◽  
Joseph P. Zackular
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Drugs ◽  
Human Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pediatric Populations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Shed Light

ABSTRACT Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium that infects the human gastrointestinal tract, causing a wide range of disorders that vary in severity from mild diarrhea to toxic megacolon and/or death. Over the past decade, incidence, severity, and costs associated with C. difficile infection (CDI) have increased dramatically in both the pediatric and adult populations. The factors driving this rapidly evolving epidemiology remain largely unknown but are likely due in part to previously unappreciated host, microbiota, and environmental factors. In this review, we will cover the risks and challenges of CDI in adult and pediatric populations and examine asymptomatic colonization in infants. We will also discuss the emerging role of diet, pharmaceutical drugs, and pathogen-microbiota interactions in C. difficile pathogenesis, as well as the impact of host-microbiota interactions in the manifestation of C. difficile-associated disease. Finally, we highlight new areas of research and novel strategies that may shed light on this complex infection and provide insights into the future of microbiota-based therapeutics for CDI.

Reflections on a decade of EJM and marketing scholarship: the good, the bad, and the future

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1774-1798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Lee
Keyword(s):  
Marketing Research ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Personal View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ongoing Work ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Scientific Scholarship ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
Further Development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the author’s decade-long tenure as the Editor of the European Journal of Marketing (EJM). The paper presents his thoughts on the past 10 years of marketing scholarship, his views on future directions and some advice for those looking to publish their research in academic journals. Design/methodology/approach The paper takes a reflective, discursive approach, and also reviews a wide range of topics relevant to marketing researchers. Findings The author finds that EJM has grown substantially on many levels in the past decade. He also finds that there are some concerns around marketing research, and social scientific scholarship in general, that marketing scholars may wish to consider and take into account in their ongoing work. Research limitations/implications The paper is partly a personal view, and does not rely on any empirical research. However, the views espoused are justified by theoretical review and conceptual argument. Practical implications The implications of this paper are relevant to marketing scholars, journal reviewers, readers of research, as well as those who manage scholarship (e.g. university administrators). The author suggests a number of directions that the research, publication and reward process could move in to improve practice. Originality/value The paper brings together a large number of different views and concepts relevant to further development of marketing research, and provides original summaries and extensions.

Momentum building for more women in senior appointments

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Brian J. Hurn
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Recruitment And Selection ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the encouraging progress and increased momentum in both business and Government for more women to be appointed to senior positions. It traces this momentum since the author's last article: “Are cracks now appearing in the boardroom glass ceiling?” in Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 45 No. 4, 2013. Design/methodology/approach – Critical review of recent initiatives by both government and business. Findings – The article highlights the positive momentum towards greater gender equality in the workplace. It emphasises the need for more career guidance beginning early in school for girls and to change the male-dominated culture found in many areas of business. Research limitations/implications – Review of literature and media articles in the past 12 months. Practical implications – The increased antipathy towards quotas and the need for greater career guidance in both schools and colleges, together with work experience placements for women. Recruitment and selection should be gender-free, based on ability and experience and carried out by selection panels of both sexes. Originality/value – Highlights and analyses the recent encouraging trends and increasing awareness of the value women bring to a company board.

Rogue people: on adversarial crowdsourcing in the context of cyber security

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Moradi ◽  
Qi Li
Keyword(s):  
Cyber Security ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Problem Solving Strategy ◽  
Solving Strategy ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose Over the past decade, many research works in various disciplines have benefited from the endless ocean of people and their potentials (in the form of crowdsourcing) as an effective problem-solving strategy and computational model. But nothing interesting is ever completely one-sided. Therefore, when it comes to leveraging people's power, as the dark side of crowdsourcing, there are some possible threats that have not been considered as should be, such as recruiting black hat crowdworkers for organizing targeted adversarial intentions. The purpose of this paper is to draw more attention to this critical issue through investigation of its different aspects. Design/methodology/approach To delve into details of such malicious intentions, the related literature and previous researches have been studied. Then, four major typologies for adversarial crowdsourced attacks as well as some real-world scenarios are discussed and delineated. Finally, possible future threats are introduced. Findings Despite many works on adversarial crowdsourcing, there are only a few specific research studies devoted to considering the issue in the context of cyber security. In this regard, the proposed typologies (and addressed scenarios) for such human-mediated attacks can shed light on the way of identifying and confronting such threats. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this the first work in which the titular topic is investigated in detail. Due to popularity and efficiency of leveraging crowds' intelligence and efforts in a wide range of application domains, it is most likely that adversarial human-driven intentions gain more attention. In this regard, it is anticipated that the present research study can serve as a roadmap for proposing defensive mechanisms to cope with such diverse threats.

Alcohol related brain damage – a case of neglect?

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-136
Author(s):  
Charlie Place
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Brain Damage ◽  
Dual Diagnosis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Korsakoff Syndrome ◽  
Specialist Services ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) is a neglected problem. ARBD is a term that has begun to be used over the past decade to describe prolonged cognitive impairment caused by alcohol use, including Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome, alcohol dementia and alcohol-related brain injury. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview of ARBD describing the research around its prevalence and prognosis. There is a consensus in the literature that there is little research and a lack of awareness of this condition. The author uses case studies from his own experience working with people with ARBD to describe the difficulties in accessing appropriate assessment and care for this group, and suggests that they are often excluded in a way that is familiar from the experience of the person with “dual diagnosis”. Findings – Recommendations are made including raising awareness, improving screening for cognitive impairment and developing specialist services. Originality/value – ARBD appears to have been neglected in the “dual diagnosis” world and this paper attempts to address this, and so should be of interest to a wide range of professionals working with substance use, mental health, homelessness and social work.

Understanding the connection between SMEs’ competitiveness and cash flow generation: an empirical analysis from Hungary

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabor Markus ◽  
Andras Rideg
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Competitive Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to interconnect the firm level competitive performance (competitiveness) to the financial performance of the firms. The goal is to give evidence on how successful small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) use their financial performance to support their competitive performance. Design/methodology/approach Competitiveness is interpreted and measured through the resource-based view theory on a wide range of competitiveness measurements with a sample size of 639 SMEs. Financial data originate from official, publicly accessible governmental archives. All data are from a mid-size Central European country (Hungary). To interconnect competitiveness and financial performance, this paper recognizes two types of cash flow, namely, cash flow to the “past” (dividend and debt service) and cash flow to the “future” (CAPEX and innovation). This paper used ordinary least squares regression and binomial logistic regression to analyze connections. Findings Cash flows to the “future” have much stronger effects on competitiveness than cash flows to the “past.” Debt services do not affect competitiveness, whereas dividends, CAPEX and innovation efforts have a significant positive connection to competitiveness, showing that higher cash flow indicates higher competitive performance. If this paper knows how much the firm spends on innovation and dividends, in about the four-fifths of the cases, this paper can predict the level of the competitiveness of the firm without any additional information. The level of these variables gives enough information, the variability of them is not relevant. Research limitations/implications The explanatory power of future-oriented cash flow elements is much higher than that of the past-oriented ones, while innovation dominates all models. Firms with higher competitiveness build their returns in their cost structure, and only when the financial position of the firm is stable enough, withdraw the financial resource based on a long-term plan. The results are limited by the fact that using the current sample, detailed and representative (e.g. cross-industrial, spatial, etc.) decomposition is not possible. Originality/value Literature is focusing on how SMEs reach success, how SMEs “earn money.” There is no evidence on how SMEs “spend money,” earned during their success.

A review of human resources management research

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 679-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bruce Tracey
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Hr Management ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Substantial Degree

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to present a review of the human resources (HR) research that has been published over the past ten years in discipline-based and hospitality-specific journals and identify key trends and opportunities for advancing future research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a critical review of the extant literature in the general HR management and hospitality HR management fields. Findings – A comparison of the findings shows a substantial degree of overlap in the themes and results that have been generated to date. However, several hospitality studies have identified a number of variables that appear to be particularly relevant for labor-intensive, service-focused settings. As such, context-specific factors should be considered in efforts to advance our understanding about the ways in which hospitality HR systems may impact a wide array of individual and organizational outcomes. Originality/value – The results offer a foundation for advancing future hospitality HR research.

Turning expatriates’ cultural intelligence into strategic advantage

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-136
Author(s):  
Aideen O’Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Intercultural Adaptation ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the importance of cultural intelligence for expatriates and offer several recommendations for human resources professionals to help enhance expatriates’ performance. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a review of relevant literature and in-depth interviews with 12 experienced expatriates who had collectively completed 39 assignments across 26 different host countries. The participants represent ten ethnicities and seven industries. Findings The expatriates used all four types of cultural intelligence while on assignment and found those to be critical for their success. Practical implications Human resources professionals are advised to actively screen for cultural intelligence when selecting expatriates for assignment; develop expatriates’ cultural intelligence in a holistic, ongoing manner; and involve external professionals as needed to support expatriates’ success. Originality/value Much of the past research on intercultural adaptation and cultural intelligence has been quantitative in nature and based on student populations. This paper provides detailed insights in the participants’ own words regarding the way cultural intelligence promotes intercultural adaptation and success on assignment.

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