Benefits Communications Survey: employees want more direction

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-102
Author(s):  
Justyn Harkin
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Employee Communication ◽  
Enrollment Decisions ◽  
Communication Preferences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Insurance Decisions ◽  
Communication Material

Purpose The purpose of 2017 ALEX® Benefits Communication Survey is to explore what employees think of the ways their companies talk to them about their benefits. Specifically, the survey focuses on whether employees understand the benefits communication material that is put in front of them, and it tries to provide insights on how employers can help employees improve their ability to make informed decisions about their healthcare options. Design/methodology/approach The survey was conducted online from February 24 to March 17, 2017, by Harris Poll on behalf of Jellyvision. It included 2,043 US adults (ages 18+) who were employed full-time, eligible for company-provided benefits and did not currently have health insurance through Medicare, Medicaid or the VA. Data were weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, income, marital status, household size and propensity to be online for aligning them with their actual proportions in the population. Results of this research were compared with Jellyvision’s April 2016 survey of 2,105 employed adults. Findings Of the employees whose companies offer health insurance benefits, approximately half (49 per cent) say making health insurance decisions is “always very stressful” for them, and 55 per cent say that they would like help from their employer when choosing a plan. One in five employees (21 per cent) say they often regret the benefit choices they make during open enrollment. Further, while 89 per cent say they generally understand their options, only 59 per cent can actually identify the different elements involved in the full cost of their health care. In terms of communication preferences, 65 per cent of employees prefer to look over benefit enrollment instructions outside of working hours. Originality/value Jellyvision commissioned this study to provide employers with valuable insights about how employees process and respond to benefit communications. The data can help employers understand the sources of enrollment-related stress and critical gaps in health insurance and benefits knowledge, which can lead to poor decision-making and regret among employees. The survey also reveals employee communication preferences, which employers can use to optimize their content, drive engagement, and empower employees to make more informed benefit enrollment decisions.

scholarly journals The impact of gender perceptions and professional values on women’s careers in nursing

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan McIntosh ◽  
Ronald McQuaid ◽  
Anne Munro
Keyword(s):  
Working Hours ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Employment Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Senior Nurse ◽  
Gender Perceptions ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to engage two enduring sets of assumptions within nursing: firstly, that woman with children should prioritise the care of children; and secondly, that nursing standards require nurses to put their profession above other priorities. Commitment is linked to full-time working which contrasts sharply with the reality for many women with children who need to work part-time and are not able to change or extend working hours Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative research involved the use of 32 in-depth interviews with 32 female registered nurses with children and without children. They were employed in “acute” nursing, aged between 25 and 60 years, and in registered grades “D” to “senior nurse manager”. They worked or had worked on a variety of employment conditions, some, but not all, had taken career breaks. The rationale for exclusively selecting women was based on the need to identify and describe organisational, situational and individual factors related to women and the associations and barriers which affected their careers. Findings – In a female-dominated profession, we find the profession resisting attempts to make the profession more accessible to women with young children. The career progression of women with children is inhibited, and this is driven in part by a determination to maintain “traditional” employment practices. Originality/value – This paper develops Heilman’s argument that gender perceptions, by both males and females, can be biased against women, and these produce gender inequalities in employment. These findings are relevant across many areas of employment, and they are significant in relation to broadening the debate around equal opportunities for women.

scholarly journals User Interactions With Health Insurance Decision Aids: User Study With Retrospective Think-Aloud Interviews (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne C W Giang ◽  
Emma Bland ◽  
Jeffrey Chen ◽  
Coralys M Colón-Morales ◽  
Michelle M Alvarado
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Decision Aid ◽  
User Study ◽  
Decision Aids ◽  
Think Aloud ◽  
Knowledge Test ◽  
Enrollment Decisions ◽  
Health Insurance Literacy ◽  
Insurance Decisions

BACKGROUND Two barriers to effective enrollment decisions are low health insurance literacy and lack of knowledge about how to choose a plan. To remedy these issues, digital decision aids have been used to increase the knowledge of plan options and to guide the decision process. Previous research has shown that the way information is presented in a decision aid can impact consumer choice, and existing health insurance decision aids vary in their design, content, and layout. Commercial virtual benefits counselors (VBCs) are digital decision aids that provide decision support by mimicking the guidance provided by an in-person human resources (HR) counselor, whereas more traditional HR websites provide information that requires self-directed navigation through the system. However, few studies have compared how decision processes are impacted by these different methods of providing information. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine how individuals interact with two different types of health insurance decision aids (<i>guided</i> VBCs that mimic conversations with a real HR counselor and <i>self-directed</i> HR websites that provide a broad range of detailed information) to make employer-provided health insurance decisions. METHODS In total, 16 employees from a local state university completed a user study in which they made mock employer-provided health insurance decisions using 1 of 2 systems (VBC vs HR website). Participants took part in a retrospective think-aloud interview, cued using eye-tracking data to understand decision aid interactions. In addition, pre- and postexperiment measures of literacy and knowledge and decision conflict and usability of the system were also examined. RESULTS Both the VBC and HR website had positive benefits for health insurance knowledge and literacy. Previous health insurance knowledge also impacted how individuals used decision aids. Individuals who scored lower on the pre-experiment knowledge test focused on different decision factors and were more conflicted about their final enrollment decisions than those with higher knowledge test scores. Although both decision aids resulted in similar changes in the Health Insurance Literacy Measure and knowledge test scores, perceived usability differed. Website navigation was not intuitive, and it took longer to locate information, although users appreciated that it had more details; the VBC website was easier to use but had limited information. Lower knowledge participants, in particular, found the website to be less useful and harder to use than those with higher health insurance knowledge. Finally, out-of-pocket cost estimation tools can lead to confusion when they do not highlight the factors that contribute to the cost estimate. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that health insurance decision aids help individuals improve their confidence in selecting and using health insurance plans. However, previous health insurance knowledge plays a significant role in how users interact with and benefit from decision aids, even when information is presented in different formats.

Enhancing employee communication behaviors for sensemaking and sensegiving in crisis situations

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Management ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Employee Communication ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Crisis Situations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the organizational effectiveness of internal crisis communication within the strategic management approach, whether it enhanced voluntary and positive employee communication behaviors (ECBs) for sensemaking and sensegiving. By doing so, this study provides meaningful insight into: new crisis communication theory development that takes a strategic management approach, emphasizing employees’ valuable assets from an organization, and effective crisis communication practice that reduces misalignment with employees and that enhances voluntary and positive ECBs for the organization during a crisis. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a nationwide survey in the USA among full-time employees (n=544). After dimensionality check through confirmatory factor analysis, this study tested hypothesis and research question by conducting ordinary least squares multiple regression analyses using STATA 13. Findings This study found that strategic internal communication factors, including two-way symmetrical communication and transparent communication, were positive and strong antecedents of ECBs for sensemaking and sensegiving in crisis situations, when controlling for other effects. The post hoc analysis confirmed theses positive and strong associations across different industry areas. Originality/value This study suggests that voluntary and valuable ECBs can be enhanced by listening and responding to employee concerns and interests; encouraging employee participation in crisis communication; and organizational accountability through words, actions and decisions during the crisis. As a theoretical implication, the results of this study indicate the need for crisis communication theories that emphasize employees as valuable assets to an organization.

Rationales of gender diversity management policies and practices in India: an exploratory empirical study in the Indian IT/ITeS industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-688
Author(s):  
Shreyashi Chakraborty ◽  
Leena Chatterjee
Keyword(s):  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
Policies And Practices

PurposeThe Indian context is marked with weak anti-discrimination laws and patchy implementation of protection of civil rights of women at workplaces. The purpose of this paper is to unearth the rationales of the adoption of gender diversity management policies and practices in India, in the absence of laws and regulations.Design/methodology/approachInspiration is drawn from previous studies on diversity management in other national contexts, and a survey methodology was adopted. The lead researcher administered the questionnaires personally to all respondents to ensure that the understanding of the questions is uniform across respondents as gender diversity management is a relatively new concept in India.FindingsSize of the organisation (number of full-time employees), the influence of external organisations and perceived enhanced organisational flexibility were found to explain the adoption of gender diversity management policies and practices in the Indian IT/ITeS industry. Findings also indicate that Indian subsidiaries of foreign multinationals tend to adopt more gender diversity management policies and practices as compared to Indian-owned organisations.Research implicationsThis study provides evidence that organisations do not always enact structures or behaviours in the pursuit of normative rationality and also consider the economic value of them, establishing an organisational agency in adopting legitimated norms or practices. The study also shows that gender diversity management policies and practices are not only dependent on the enactment of laws but also are adopted because of the economic benefit perceived.Originality/valueDiversity management policies and practices have been mostly studied in national contexts with anti-discrimination laws or affirmative action programs and have been claimed to be a successor of equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies. In the absence of stringent laws to reduce or eliminate discrimination against women employees in Indian workplaces, this study contributes to the literature by determining whether the business case for gender diversity drives the adoption of gender diversity management in the Indian context.

scholarly journals A Generalized Structural Equation Model Approach to Long Working Hours and Near-Misses among Healthcare Professionals in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 7154
Author(s):  
Tatsuhiko Anzai ◽  
Takashi Yamauchi ◽  
Masaki Ozawa ◽  
Kunihiko Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Near Miss ◽  
Long Working Hours ◽  
Near Misses ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Job Related Stress

(1) Background: Near-miss incidents are the foundation of major injuries. They are warning signs that loss is imminent. Long working hours are a risk factor for near-misses along with sleep problems, job-related stress, and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the indirect effects of long working hours via mediating variables on near-miss occurrences among Japanese healthcare professionals. (2) Methods: 1490 Japanese healthcare professionals’ reports from a web-based survey of workers in October 2018 were analyzed to evaluate total, direct, and indirect effects of long working hours on near-misses. We applied a generalized structural equation model with three mediating variables: sleep problems, job-related stress, and depressive symptoms. (3) Results: The total effect and direct effect of the categories of working hours longer than 41 h per week (h/w) for occurrence of near-misses were not significantly higher than that of 35–40 h/w. However, for indirect effects on occurrence of near-misses that first passed through job-related stress, there were higher reports for each category compared to 35–40 h/w, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of OR = 1.12, 95% CI (1.07, 1.21) for 41–50 h/w; 1.25, (1.14, 1.41) for 51–60 h/w; and 1.31, (1.18, 1.51) for ≥ 61 h/w. (4) Conclusion: The results suggest that reducing working hours might improve job-related stress, which could reduce near-misses and prevent injuries.

scholarly journals Exploring producers' motivations and challenges within a farmers' market

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (7) ◽  
pp. 2089-2103
Author(s):  
Rosario Michel-Villarreal ◽  
Eliseo Luis Vilalta-Perdomo ◽  
Martin Hingley
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Short Food Supply Chains

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore food producers' motivations and challenges whilst participating in short food supply chains (SFSCs). This paper compares findings with previous literature and investigates the topic in the context of producers' motivations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a literature review concerning producers' motivations to engage in SFSCs. A case study was designed to investigate motivations underlying producers' engagement in SFSCs, as well as the challenges that they face. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a farmers' market located in Mexico. Thematic analysis is used to identify the principal issues for producers'. Propositions based on findings are presented.FindingsFindings suggest that small, large, part-time and full-time producers are willing to engage with farmers' markets for diverse primary economic and non-economic motivations. Individual and collective challenges were also identified.Originality/valueThis research helps to explain producers' motivations and challenges within SFSCs in an under-researched context, namely a focus on producers' and in the Global South.

Integrating wearable technology products and big data analytics in business strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bishwajit Nayak ◽  
Som Sekhar Bhattacharyya ◽  
Bala Krishnamoorthy
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Technology Policy ◽  
Wearable Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Products

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of the adoption of wearable technology products for Indian health insurance firms. It identifies the key dynamic capabilities that health insurance firms should build to manage big data generated by wearable technology so as to attain a competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative exploratory study using in-depth personal interviews with 53 Indian health insurance experts was conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were coded using holistic and pattern codes and then analyzed using the content analysis technique. The findings were based on the thematic and relational intensity analysis of the codes. Findings An empirical model was established where all the propositions were strongly established except for the moderate relationship between wearable technology adoption and product innovation. The study established the nature of the interaction of variables on technology policy, organizational culture, strategic philosophy, product innovation, knowledge management and customer service quality with wearable technology adoption and also ascertained its influence on firm performance and competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications From a dynamic capabilities perspective, this study deliberates on wearable technology adoption in the health insurance context. It also explicates the relationship between the variables on technology policy, organizational culture, strategic philosophy, product innovation, knowledge management and customer service quality with wearable technology adoption on firm performance. Originality/value This study is one of the first studies to add the context of wearable technology and health insurance to the existing body of knowledge on dynamic capabilities and sustainable competitive advantage for the service sector. It would help existing and prospective players in adopting or setting up appropriate business models.

Exploring privacy and trust for employee monitoring

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuchih Ernest Chang ◽  
Anne Yenching Liu ◽  
Sungmin Lin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Employee Monitoring ◽  
Communication Privacy ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate privacy boundaries and explores employees’ reactions in employee monitoring. Design/methodology/approach – The research used the metaphor of boundary turbulence in the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to demonstrate the psychological effect on employees. The model comprised organizational culture, CPM, trust, and employee performance in employee monitoring to further investigated the influence exerted by organizational culture and how employees viewed their trust within the organization when implementing employee monitoring. Variables were measured empirically by administrating questionnaires to full-time employees in organizations that currently practice employee monitoring. Findings – The findings showed that a control-oriented organizational culture raised communication privacy turbulence in CPM. The communication privacy turbulence in CPM mostly had negative effects on trust in employee monitoring policy, but not on trust in employee monitoring members. Both trust in employee monitoring policy and trust in employee monitoring members had positive effects on employee commitment and compliance to employee monitoring. Research limitations/implications – This research applied the CPM theory in workplace privacy to explore the relationship between employees’ privacy and trust. The results provide insights of why employees feel psychological resistance when they are forced to accept the practice of employee monitoring. In addition, this study explored the relationship between CPM and trust, and offer support and verification to prior studies. Practical implications – For practitioners, the findings help organizations to improve the performance of their employees and to design a more effective environment for employee monitoring. Originality/value – A research model was proposed to study the impacts of CPM on employee monitoring, after a broad survey on related researches. The validated model and its corresponding study results can be referenced by organization managers and decision makers to make favorable tactics for achieving their goals of implementing employee monitoring.

Beekeeping as a family artisan entrepreneurship business

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 717-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veland Ramadani ◽  
Robert D. Hisrich ◽  
Leo-Paul Dana ◽  
Ramo Palalic ◽  
Laxman Panthi
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Transition Economy ◽  
Rural Families ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Throughout Macedonia, beekeeping is becoming popular regardless of ethnicity. Studying ethnicity, the purpose of this paper is to determine what beekeepers in Macedonia thought in their own words about their beekeeping entrepreneurship. The objective is to identify whether motivations of ethnic Albanian beekeepers in Macedonia were the same or different compared to those of ethnic Macedonians in the same country, and if different, how. Design/methodology/approach To accomplish this objective, in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 beekeepers in Macedonia. A total of 29 interviews were conducted face-to-face and the other 11 by phone. The first set of interviews took place between December 2016 and February 2017, followed by more interviews in June 2017. In total, 27 respondents said they were ethnic Albanians, and 13 identified themselves as ethnic Macedonians. Also, ten respondents were women. While eight were full-time beekeepers, 32 were part-time beekeepers. Findings The results indicated that beekeeping businesses play a significant role in the transition economy of Macedonia. Beekeeping provides additional earnings that support rural families and keeps them financially stable. The majority of both Albanians and Macedonians understood that beekeeping on a part-time job basis provided a needed supplement to their income. Some part-time beekeepers are also working as auto-mechanics, locksmiths, medical doctors, restaurant/cafeteria owners, and tailors. A few in the sample were retired from their jobs or full-time beekeepers. An important difference between ethnic Albanian beekeepers and ethnic Macedonians in Macedonia is that the majority of ethnic Albanian participants see beekeeping as following in “my father’s footsteps”, while most Macedonians were motivated by the perceived opportunity of having a good business. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the research are twofold. First, financial data of family beekeeping are not available, which would be useful in determining the contribution made to economic development. It is common, especially in transition economies such as the western Balkans, that financial results are very sensitive to their owners. Second, unavailable databases for beekeepers make any quantitative approach difficult, if not impossible, resulting in most research using the qualitative research approach. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to treat beekeeping as a form of artisan entrepreneurship, which also contributes to the understanding of family business. As in other countries, the important and operation of the family business among family members in Macedonia is passed from generation to generation. The results of this research revealed the value of networking, which was found to be very important to income. For beekeepers to develop, grow, and be branded in the community, networking is an important ingredient.

Comparing collective bargaining agreements for developing countries

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Besamusca ◽  
Kea Tijdens
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Collective Bargaining Agreement ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Paid Leave ◽  
Collective Agreements ◽  
Country Comparison ◽  
Work Family

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to fill several knowledge gaps regarding the contents of collective agreements, using a new online database. The authors analyse 249 collective agreements from 11 countries – Benin, Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Peru, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda. The authors research to what extent wage and other remuneration-related clauses, working hours, paid leave arrangements and work-family arrangements are included in collective agreements and whether bargaining topics cluster within agreements. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the web-based WageIndicator Collective Bargaining Agreement Database with uniformly coded agreements, that are both collected and made accessible online. The authors present a quantitative multi-country comparison of the inclusion and contents of the clauses in the agreements. Findings – The authors find that 98 per cent of the collective agreements include clauses on wages, but that only few agreements specify wage levels. Up to 71 per cent have clauses on social security, 89 per cent on working hours and 84 per cent of work-family arrangements. The authors also find that collective agreements including one of these four clauses, are also more likely to include the other three and conclude that no trade off exists between their inclusion on the bargaining agenda. Research limitations/implications – Being one of the first multi-country analyses of collective agreements, the analysis is primarily explorative, aiming to establish a factual baseline with regard to the contents of collective agreements. Originality/value – This study is unique because of its focus on the content of collective bargaining agreements. The authors are the first to be able to show empirically which clauses are included in existing collective agreements in developing countries.

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