Workplace fun: a matter of context and not content

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Georganta ◽  
Anthony Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Distinct Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Workplace Fun ◽  
Potential Indicator ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
New Type ◽  
Positive Experiences

Purpose During the last years, workplace fun has emerged as a potential indicator of a healthy workplace. Congruently, organisations have become interested in enhancing positive experiences at work, such as joy in the workplace. While such trends have resulted in a growing literature on fun in the workplace, humour and play, academics and practitioners are still uncertain as to the nature of fun and its antecedents. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of fun in the modern organisation and understand the underlying elements necessary for creating environments that valorise and promote fun. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted semi-structured individual interviews with open-ended questions with 34 employed individuals from a variety of professions. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The analyses revealed organised fun as a distinct type of workplace fun that can have a significant impact through its social support function and psychological safety as the underlying element for promoting healthy positive fun interactions. The culture of the organisation and management attitudes towards fun emerged as key issues in promoting a fun workplace. Originality/value Organised fun emerged as a new type of workplace fun. The relational characteristic of fun and its function as a social support method are discussed. The study has delineated the contextual factors that should be addressed by researchers when studying workplace fun.

Archiving in the networked world: authenticity and integrity

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 545-552
Author(s):  
Michael Seadle
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Digital Work ◽  
Mathematical Algorithms ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Technical Sense

PurposeThis article aims to discuss how concepts from the analog world apply to a purely digital environment, and look in particular at how authenticity needs to be viewed in the digital world in order to make some form of validation possible.Design/methodology/approachThe article describes authenticity and integrity in the analog world and looks at how to measure it in a digital environment.FindingsAuthenticity in the digital world generally means, in a purely technical sense, that a document's integrity has been checked using mathematical algorithms against other copies on independently managed servers, and that provenance records show that the document has a clearly established succession from a clearly defined original. Readers should recognize that this is different than how one defines authenticity and integrity in the analog world.Originality/valueMost of the key issues surrounding digital authenticity have not yet been tested, but they will be when the economic value of an authentic digital work reaches the courts.

Structuring and financing private equity and venture capital transactions in Luxembourg

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Géradin
Keyword(s):  
Venture Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Private Equity ◽  
Corporate Law ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Equity Investment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Optimum Balance

Purpose Luxembourg is the jurisdiction of choice for many private equity and venture capital investors/funds. Though the optimum balance of financing instruments in relation to any structure varies according to its particular circumstances, one factor that all Luxembourg domiciled FDI structures have in common is the requirement for an appropriate level of equity investment. This article intends to summarize some of the topics frequently encountered in relation to equity structuring choices. Design/methodology/approach Author details the different steps and choices available to investors and funds. The article offers answers to questions to provide a broad, yet detailed, overview of the process and journey; from selecting the vehicle right through to distributing to investors, governance, and compliance. Findings To avoid an expensive mistake, it is paramount that the private equity or venture capital investors and management team receive detailed advice to ensure: (i) the deal is structured in the most tax efficient manner possible and the commercial deal is suitable for all parties, and (ii) the deal is structured in a manner which is effective under Luxembourg law, for both tax and legal purposes. Practical implications It is important that non-Luxembourg lawyers are able to identify key issues when negotiating the terms of the investment documents, in particular, the articles of association and shareholders' agreement. Originality/value Practical guidance from Luxembourg lawyer specializing in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity transactions.

Guest editorial: Solving problems for service consumers experiencing vulnerabilities: a marketplace challenge

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 685-691
Author(s):  
Raechel Johns ◽  
Janet Davey
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Guest Editorial ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Actor Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose While there is burgeoning service literature identifying consumer vulnerabilities and questioning the assumption that all consumers have the resources to co-create, limited research addresses solutions for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities. Service systems can provide support for consumers but can also create inequities and experienced vulnerabilities. This paper aims to identify current and further research needed to explore this issue and addresses marketplace problems for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities. Design/methodology/approach This viewpoint discusses key issues relating to solving marketplace problems for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities. A call for papers focused on solving marketplace problems for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities resulted in a large number of submissions. Nine papers are included in this special issue, and each one is discussed in this editorial according to five emergent themes. Findings Vulnerabilities can be temporary, or permanent, and anyone can suddenly experience vulnerabilities. Inequities and vulnerabilities can be due to individual characteristics, environmental forces, or due to the structure of the marketplace itself. Solutions include taking a strengths-based approach to addressing inequities and using a multiple-actor network to provide support. Practical implications The recommendations addressed in this paper enable more positive approaches to solving marketplace problems for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities. Social implications Taking a solutions-focused lens to research relating to vulnerabilities will contribute toward addressing inequities within the marketplace. Originality/value Increasingly, service literature is identifying inequities; however, very limited research addresses solutions for solving marketplace problems for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities. This paper suggests taking an approach focusing on strengths, rather than weaknesses, to determine strategies, and using the support of other actors (Transformative Service Mediators) where required.

Elephants in the room

Facilities ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 412-423
Author(s):  
Bert Smit ◽  
Roy C. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Direct Relevance ◽  
Management Concepts ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Conceptual Paper

Purpose – This paper aims to develop an understanding of the potential for application of facilities management concepts and principles in the context of the “zoo sector”. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a conceptual one and begins with a narrative designed to provide sufficient background to understanding key issues relevant to the practice of facilities management in zoological and similar institutions, including the implications of conservational/scientific and display imperatives of zoological facilities for facilities management. We then consider how these issues can be worked through in the context of four broad dimensions of facilities management: strategies for the management of stakeholder behaviour (non-human animals, personnel and visitors); building and environmental design (including space usage); safety, security and health; and “miscellaneous” services. The paper concludes by providing a provisional framework for further research into facilities management in the zoo sector. Findings – As a conceptual paper, there are no empirical findings. Conceptually, the paper offers an initial and simple framework for interpreting the possible application of facilities management in zoological and related facilities. Originality/value – In a search of the two principal journals in the field of facilities management, nothing could be found of direct relevance to the management of facilities in zoological and similar organizations. This paper is thus a singular contribution to the field. Conceptually, the authors attribute neglect of the topic to the distinctive traditions in the study of facilities management, which, at the risk of caricature, emphasise either the pre-eminence of a building and building services approach to facilities management, or an approach which is almost exclusively focused on the “human” dimensions to the discipline.

Fraud and counterfeit wines in France: an overview and perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Lecat ◽  
Joelle Brouard ◽  
Claude Chapuis
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Type ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
Official Data ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the specificities of wine forgery today and to show the perspectives offered to the different stakeholders in the wine industry. Design/methodology/approach Owing to the technical aspects of this paper, a literature review based on academic papers (history) and articles coming from the professional press, internet websites and public organizations was made. Findings It was found that frauds have always existed. Forgers are constantly in search of new ways of counterfeiting wines. Producers have had to adapt to the various forms of counterfeiting, mainly by resorting to modern technology. As the traceability of great wines is becoming crucial, a new type of relationships between producers anxious to offer genuine estate wines and consumers anxious to drink the bottles they ordered has developed. This new constraint became a marketing opportunity for producers. Research limitations/implications It was difficult to obtain official data (interviews or surveys) because of the sensitiveness of the topic. Practical implications This paper, which offers an inventory of the methods used by forgers to deceive customers, makes both producers and consumers aware of the extent of the problem. The counterfeiting phenomenon is dangerous for producers’ image and the technological changes are a tool allowing producers to protect their wine and reinforce their relationships with consumers. Originality/value This paper gives an overview of forgers’ ploys in France. It opens a discussion about perspectives for the different stakeholders while most of the research tends to focus on technical solutions and the analysis of specific affairs which received media coverage.

Workplace incivility and bystanders’ helping intentions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Jungert ◽  
Kristoffer Holm
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Behavioural Response ◽  
Workplace Incivility ◽  
Power Relation ◽  
Experimental Designs ◽  
Prosocial Behaviour ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Using observational and experimental designs, the purpose of this study was to explore if the power relation between the offender and the victim of incivility and the level of perceived severity of the incivility were associated with bystanders’ intentions to help when witnessing workplace incivility. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, 160 participants completed a questionnaire where they described a recent uncivil incident they had witnessed, and completed measures of perceived severity and measures of their behavioural response as bystanders. In Study 2, 183 participants were randomised to read one of two vignettes (a manager being uncivil towards a subordinate or vice versa), and completed measures of perceived severity and of their motivation to intervene. The authors investigated whether the power relation between perpetrator and victim, and the perceived severity of the uncivil exchange, were associated with prosocial bystander behaviours in Study 1 and with motivation to defend the victim of incivility in Study 2. Findings Higher perpetrator power was significantly associated with the incident being perceived as more severe, and higher perpetrator power was directly related to greater tendency to confront, and lower tendency to avoid, the perpetrator. Perpetrator power was indirectly associated with social support according to the perceived severity. A supervisor acting in an uncivil manner was rated as more severe than a subordinate acting in such a way. Perceived severity mediated the relationship between perpetrator power and the witness’s introjected, identified and intrinsic motivation to intervene. Originality/value This study extends previous work by investigating how the perpetrator’s power influences both the bystander’s prosocial behaviour and their motivation to defend the victim. Furthermore, previous research has not considered how perceptions of severity might mediate the relationship between power, behaviour and motivation.

Defining the undefinable: an analysis of definitions of community archives

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 617-634
Author(s):  
Sarah Welland ◽  
Amanda Cossham
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Archival Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Community Archives ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Community Archive ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore definitions and notions of what a community archive is, and the tensions between different understandings of community archives. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a critical analysis of community archives definitions and understanding from researchers and practitioners across the wider heritage information sector. Findings Community archives are a growing area of interest for researchers because of the archives’ intrinsic link to the community and their provision of the evidence of it. While discussion often focuses on a paradigm of transformative purpose, existing definitions around community archives continue to be tenuous, reflecting different real or perceived types and practices and the perspective of the author and the sector they work within. Variations in definition can also occur because of differences in perspective around theory and practice, with many practitioner-based definitions intrinsically bound with the community they represent. This can result in community archives being defined as “alternative” based on mainstream practice or “political” based on theoretical purview, or “meeting the needs of community” by the community archivists themselves. Research limitations/implications The paper is conceptual and does not attempt to provide one definition that covers the perceived extent of community archives. It is part of work in progress on the nature of community archives and the impact such discourse may have on archival theory and practice. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of some of the key issues and themes impacting a definition of community archives, and in doing so works towards a broader understanding the nature of community archives. In most cases, the concept of “community” seems to provide a common definitive element and practitioner definitions focus on addressing the needs of self-defined community to a greater or lesser extent.

Local on-demand fabrication: microfactories and online manufacturing platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-41
Author(s):  
Jose Orlando Montes ◽  
F. Xavier Olleros
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Machine Shops ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
New Type ◽  
Experiential Research ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis article explores a particular on-demand fabrication unit, the microfactory (MF). It identifies and contrasts several MFs and proposes a taxonomy. This research also explores online manufacturing platforms (OMP) that complement certain MFs.Design/methodology/approachThis research implements a multiple case study (71 cases in 21 countries), triangulating data available on the web with interviews, virtual/physical tours and experiential research.FindingsThe results suggest that automation and openness are the main dimensions that differentiate the MFs. Using these dimensions, a taxonomy of MFs is created. MFs with relatively low automation and high openness tend to be innovation-driven microfactories (IDMFs). MFs with high automation and low openness levels tend to be customization-driven microfactories (CDMFs). And MFs with relatively low automation and low openness tend to be classic machine shops (MSs). There are two types of OMP: closed (COMPs) and multisided (MOMPs). MOMPs can be low-end or high-end.Practical implicationsIn a world where online platforms are becoming central to the reinvention of manufacturing, multisided online platforms and small fabricators will become strongly symbiotic.Originality/valueThis paper offers a clearer conceptualization of MFs and OMPs, which may help to better understand the reality of local on-demand fabrication. Moreover, it explores a new type of experiential research, which tries to describe and interpret firms through transactional activities. Many details of a firm that are difficult to capture via interviews and netnography can be revealed this way.

A review of facilities management performance measurement

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Amos ◽  
Zairul Nisham Musa ◽  
Cheong Peng Au-Yong
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Slow Pace ◽  
The Past ◽  
Key Issues

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of facilities management (FM) performance measurement (PM) research within the past two decades to understand existing gaps in FM PM literature. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a systematic approach to review papers in FM PM published from 1997 to 2017. The articles published in selected peer-reviewed international journals in the last 20 years were collected by conducting literature search in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The content of the papers were scrutinized to understand the gap in literature. Findings The review depicts a slow pace of FM PM research characterized by diverse and fragmented performance measures, whereas the existing PM frameworks are at the nascent stage. Research limitations/implications The judgments of the paper are based on the 54 papers selected for the critical review and analysis that should be treated as key issues in FM PM research agenda. The review also excludes energy management. Originality/value The paper identifies the gaps in the current PM literature in FM and set propositions for future research which is of utility and relevance to FM researchers more especially on the existing conceptual frameworks. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to conduct a review on FM PM in the extant literature.

scholarly journals Factors confronting quantity surveying practice: the case of Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olusola Ogunsina ◽  
Micah Ekwus Obiegbu ◽  
Onaopepo Adeniyi
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Port Harcourt ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Quantity Surveying ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Probabilistic Sample

Purpose As the challenges confronting a system are better addressed when known and understood, this paper aims to report the findings of a study that investigated the factors confronting professional quantity surveying using Nigeria as a case. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was developed and pre-tested as the instrument for collecting data. A total of 64 quantity surveyors practicing in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu completed the questionnaire out of a non-probabilistic sample of 100. Severity Index and Spearman rank correlation coefficient were used in data analysis. Findings The outcome revealed that the top five factors perceived to be confronting the profession include poor marketing of the profession, opposition from engineers, the dominance of multinational companies that do not have quantity surveying as a distinct profession in their country of origin, widespread corruption in Nigeria and professional incompetence of some quantity surveyors. Furthermore, the two categories of respondents – professional quantity surveyors and probationers – agree in their ranking of the factors confronting the profession. The ranking of the 17 factors between the two categories of respondents was tested using Spearman’s rho. The result showed that the difference in perception of professional members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and the probationers with regard to factors confronting the quantity surveying profession is not significant at p < 0.01. These findings are then discussed in the light of previous works, and implications for both academics and professionals within the quantity surveying profession were highlighted. Originality/value This study has highlighted the key issues to consider as stakeholders attempt to advance the course of quantity surveying and construction cost management profession.

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