Job switching and communities of practice: mapping facilitators and dampeners to life cycle

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Parijat Lanke ◽  
Papri Nath

Purpose This paper aims to understand the impact of the job switching behavior on different stages of the communities of practice’s life cycle. Job switching has been viewed from both positive and negative point of views, and its impact on certain organizational factors might be found in literature. Job switching/job hopping behavior of an individual might be fueled by socio-economic factors as well as fun, but it has serious implication for the companies. But an understanding of how this new employee might influence the communities of practice, given which stage is the community in, is something that has not been studied yet. This work is an attempt in that direction. Design/methodology/approach Using integrative review technique, this paper forwards a conceptual framework based on the literature reviewed and builds a model using an understanding of the nuances of each stage of the life cycle of communities of practice. Findings The model proposes the impact of switching on each stage of the life cycle of communities of practice. It is observed that at each stage a new entrant who is a “job hopper” might either help or hinder the progress of a community of practice. Research limitations/implications This paper gives a new impetus to the research on communities of practice in contemporary perspective. The model proposed could be tested using data from real communities of practice. This paper limits itself to the proposal of the model and does not engage in testing it. Practical implications Organizations and managers may use the model to understand how a new entrant to the organization will complement the existing life cycle phase of the communities of practice within. Originality/value The conceptual model proposed is unique in its context of job switching behavior and its effect on communities of practice. Research on communities of practice from this contemporary perspective might bring important research directions in future.

Author(s):  
Melissa Tensa ◽  
Vincenzo Ferrero ◽  
Donovan Ross ◽  
Bryony DuPont

The goal of this research is to characterize the effects of use patterns on the environmental sustainability of consumer products, and to enable decision making throughout design processes that encourages product sustainability. Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) are currently used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product, but there can be considerable uncertainty in these analyses, especially relating to the use phase of the product. To better understand this uncertainty, we conducted environmental impact assessments of 20 household products, and employed two uncertainty quantification approaches to accommodate variation in the use phase of these products. The results from each product were then compared to products with similar attributes to find generalizations. This knowledge was integrated into decision trees so designers can better understand the degree to which use-phase uncertainty can affect quantitative measures of environmental impact before performing LCAs. This work enables designers to make more informed decisions about the intended use and use lifetimes of consumer products, potentially leading to a reduced environmental impact of this life cycle phase.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 880-896
Author(s):  
Helena Merikoski ◽  
Paula Savolainen ◽  
Jarmo J. Ahonen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a life cycle phase of a software development project which is substantial for the success of the project. This paper visualizes the project start-up phase from suppliers’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach The method is a theory building from case studies. The data were collected from three software supplier firms by conducting process modeling separately in each firm. Findings The study resulted in a model of a supplier’s software project start-up which includes start-up practices and involved roles. The results indicate that project start-up is an integral and structured phase of project life cycle, which influences the execution of a software development project, especially from the supplier’s perspective in the project business context. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on the start-up phase of software development projects delivered to external customers. Therefore, developed project start-up model is applicable as such in software supplier firms. Practical implications The project start-up model presented in this paper indicates that project start-up is a complex and multi-dimensional activity in a supplier firm. This study suggests that if the project start-up phase is clearly defined, planned and followed in a supplier firm, it reduces confusion and miscommunication among the people involved in the project and helps to achieve the business goals of a project. Originality/value This study emphasizes that it is necessary to make a distinction between the perspectives of the customer and the supplier when studying projects in the project business context. The findings contribute the new knowledge for managing outsourced software development projects.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin James Baxter

Purpose – This special issue aims to increase the awareness of the organisational factors that enterprises must reflect on and address when introducing Web 2.0 technologies into their organisations. In contrast to empirical studies that review the impact of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations in terms of how they might support knowledge sharing or communities of practice, this special issue intends to identify the salient criteria that management practitioners must address to assist in the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in the work place. Design/methodology/approach – This special issue aims to increase the awareness of the organisational factors that enterprises must reflect on and address when introducing Web 2.0 technologies into their organisations. In contrast to empirical studies that review the impact of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations in terms of how they might support knowledge sharing or communities of practice, this special issue intends to identify the salient criteria that management practitioners must address to assist in the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in the work place. Findings – One of the principal findings that have emerged from this special issue is that it indicates the importance of reviewing social and cultural factors in organisations when introducing Web 2.0 technologies in the work place. In addition to assessing technical issues that might impact on the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations this special issue also explores subject matters such as the dilemma of whether a top-down or a bottom-up approach is more effective towards engaging staff in the adoption of Web 2.0 tools at work. Originality/value – The research presented in this special issue provides an important academic contribution towards an area that is, at present, under researched namely, whether there is a structured approach that can be universally applied by organisations when internally implementing Web 2.0 technologies into their work place.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony K. Asare ◽  
Thomas G. Brashear-Alejandro ◽  
Jun Kang

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to develop and propose a comprehensive framework that identifies the factors that influence a company’s decision to adopt business to business (B2B) technologies. Design/methodology/approach – The authors review the literature regarding technology adoption from multiple disciplines including: Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Sociology, Information Systems, Marketing and Economics. A synthesis of the review provides the foundation for developing a comprehensive model of inter-firm technology adoption. Findings – The review and synthesis finds inconsistencies in the theoretical models and constructs used in previous studies of inter-firm technology adoption. The comprehensive framework presented identifies four major categories of antecedents to technology adoption: characteristics of a technology, organizational factors, external factors and relationships. The presented model focuses attention on the inclusion of relational factors that affect the adoption of B2B technology. Research limitations/implications – An important area that has been ignored in the inter-firm adoption literature is the impact of inter-firm relationships on technology adoption. This paper emphasizes the importance of inter-firm relationships and identifies power, trust and justice as important relationships that influence the adoption of inter-firm technologies. Originality/value – The expanded framework identifies the antecedents of B2B technology adoption, which can be used as a guiding framework by both academics and practitioners. The paper also offers directions for future work in the form of propositions.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared David Tadeo Guerrero-Sosa ◽  
Víctor Hugo Menéndez-Domínguez ◽  
María Enriqueta Castellanos-Bolaños

Purpose This paper aims to propose a set of quantitative statistical indicators for measuring the scientific relevance of research groups and researchers, based on high-impact open-access digital production repositories. Design/methodology/approach An action research (AR) methodology is proposed in which research is associated with the practice; research informs practice and practice is responsible for informing research in a cooperative way. AR is divided into five phases, beginning with the definition of the problematic scenario and an analysis of the state of the art and ending with conducting tests and publishing the results. Findings The proposed indicators were used to characterise group and individual output in a major public university in south-eastern Mexico. University campuses hosting a large number of high-impact research groups. These indicators were very useful in generating information that confirmed specific assumptions about the scientific production of the university. Research limitations/implications The data used here were retrieved from Scopus and open access national repository of Mexico. It would be possible to use other data sources to calculate these indicators. Practical implications The system used to implement the proposed indicators is independent of any particular technological tool and is based on standards for metadata description and exchange, thus facilitating the easy integration of new elements for evaluation. Social implications Many organisations evaluate researchers according to specific criteria, one of which is the prestige of journals. Although the guidelines differ between evaluation bodies, relevance is measured based on elements that can be adapted and where some have greater weight than others, including the prestige of the journal, the degree of collaboration with other researchers and individual production, etc. The proposed indicators can be used by various entities to evaluate researchers and research groups. Each country has its own organisations that are responsible for evaluation, using various criteria based on the impact of the publications. Originality/value The proposed indicators assess based on the importance of the types of publications and the degree of collaborations. However, they can be adapted to other similar scenarios.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Waseem Khan ◽  
Yousaf Ali

Purpose The change in climate and depletion of natural resources because of the harmful emissions from different materials becomes a main issue for the globe. Some of the developed and developing countries have focused on this issue and performed research to provide a solution. The purpose of this study is to identify the best types of concrete based on its impact on the environment and economy. Design/methodology/approach The life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of six concrete mixtures that include construction and demolition wastes (CDW), marble sludge, rice husk and bagasse ash as a partial replacement of cement, are performed. These types of concrete are compared with each other and with ordinary concrete to select the best possible concrete type for a developing country, like Pakistan. Findings The results show that, although for an agricultural country like Pakistan, the agriculture wastes such as rice husk and bagasse ash are preferable to be used, if the emissions of CO2 and CO from rice husk and NOx and SO2 from bagasse ash are properly controlled. However, based on the results, it is recommended to use the CDW in concrete because of the small amount of air emissions and affordable prices. Originality/value Through this study, a path has been provided to construction companies and relative government organizations of Pakistan, which leads to sustainable practices in the construction industry. Moreover, the base is provided for future researchers who want to work in this area, as for Pakistan, there is no database available that helps to identify the impact of different concrete on the environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 777-798
Author(s):  
Man Fung Lo ◽  
Feng Tian

PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the factors of two sub-processes – knowledge donating and knowledge collecting – of knowledge sharing in Hong Kong higher education context. This study examines the individual factors, organizational factors and technology factor of knowledge sharing. Individual factors include enjoyment in helping others and knowledge self-efficacy while organizational factors refer to the top management support, organizational rewards and organizational culture. The use of technology system is proposed to be the technology factor.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature review, this study develops a structural model representing the impact of six latent variables on knowledge donating and knowledge collecting processes Data from a questionnaire survey of 166 respondents from academics from Hong Kong higher education sector was used to analyze the model. PLS-SEM was adopted in this study.FindingsThe result of the data analysis suggests enjoyment in helping others has a positive impact on both knowledge donating and knowledge collecting. For organizational factors, a trust and collaborative culture enhance both the sub-processes. The technology factor only contributes to the knowledge donating process. Several practical implications are provided to high education leaders, for instance, by establishing a trust and collaborative environment, academics are more eager to donate and collect knowledge.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights for researchers to further understand how individual, organizational and technology factors affect two sub-processes of knowledge sharing. On the practical side, this study validated several critical factors to successful knowledge donation and knowledge collection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahsan Habib ◽  
Md. Borhan Uddin Bhuiyan ◽  
Mostafa Monzur Hasan

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on financial reporting quality and cost of equity. The paper further investigates whether such association varies at different life cycle stages. Design/methodology/approach This paper follows the methodologies of DeAngelo et al. (2006) and Dickinson (2011) to develop proxies for the firms’ stages in the life cycle. Findings Using both pre- and post-IFRS adoption period for Australian listed companies, the paper finds that financial reporting quality reduced and cost of equity increased because of the adoption of IFRS. The paper further evidences that financial reporting quality in the post-IFRS period increased cost of equity. Finally, the paper finds that mature firms produce a better quality of earnings, which result in lower cost of capital. The results indicate that a mature firm was benefited because of the adoption of IFRS. Originality/value The finding of this research is useful to the regulators and practitioners to understand the widespread benefit of IFRS adoption.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 865-882
Author(s):  
Leiqing Peng ◽  
Shaohui Lei ◽  
Yulang Guo ◽  
Fei Qiu

PurposeAs an essential personality charm of leaders, humor can bring a series of positive outcomes to both users and receivers. However, there is also evidence that the impact of leaders’ humor (LH) is constrained by individuals, teams and organizational factors. The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between LH and subordinates’ service creativity. Based on social learning theory and previous literature on LH, this paper identifies role modeling as the mediator and suggests that subordinates’ sensitivity to favorable interpersonal treatment (SFIT) moderates these relationships.Design/methodology/approachIn order to test the proposed moderated mediation model, this study employed hierarchical multiple regression and path analyses with valid data of 348 samples.FindingsResults revealed that LH positively affects role modeling and service creativity of subordinates, while subordinates' SFIT positively moderates the relationship between LH and subordinates' service creativity via role modeling.Practical implicationsIn compliance with these findings, this research suggests that enterprises should pay attention to the role of humor from middle managers and strengthen managers' role modeling through multiple measures to establish a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere in the workplace.Originality/valueBuilt on the conceptual framework, this study contributes to the literature on LH and employees’ service creativity by treating role modeling as the mechanism and SFIT as the moderator. This research is one of the first few empirical studies to investigate the relationship between LH and service creativity of service personnel in the service industry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javaria Javaid ◽  
Saira Soroya ◽  
Khalid Mahmood

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the attitude of faculty members towards knowledge-sharing in the University of Education, Lahore. The impact of personal and organizational factors that may contribute to effective knowledge-sharing among the university’s teaching staff is also analyzed. The factors affecting the willingness of the faculty members to share knowledge are broadly classified as “organizational” and “personal” factors. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on permanent teaching staff working at different campuses of the University of Education all over the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The survey instrument for this study was adapted from four studies. The questionnaires were distributed among 246 faculty members personally. Findings The findings of the study showed that the faculty members were familiar with the importance of knowledge-sharing and were also interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise with others. The results showed that organizational factors (trust, reward system and organizational culture) played a vital role in enhancing the knowledge-sharing attitude of faculty members. The impact of these factors on knowledge-sharing attitude was significant. Originality/value This is the very first study which explored the personal and organizational factors of knowledge-sharing in a specific academic institution from Pakistan. The findings of the research provided useful insights to the management of the University of Education particularly and other universities in general to design strategies for enhancing knowledge-sharing culture in the higher education institution. These findings may also be helpful for other developing countries.


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