Trends in Establishment Survey Nonresponse Rates and Nonresponse Bias: Evidence from the 2001-2017 IAB Establishment Panel

Evidence from the household survey literature shows a declining response rate trend in recent decades, but whether a similar trend exists for voluntary establishment surveys is an understudied issue. This article examines trends in nonresponse rates and nonresponse bias over a period of 17 years in the annual cross-sectional refreshment samples of the IAB Establishment Panel in Germany. In addition, rich administrative data about the establishment and employee composition are used to examine changes in nonresponse bias and its two main components, refusal and noncontact, over time. Our findings show that response rates dropped by nearly a third: from 50.2% in 2001 to 34.5% in 2017. Simultaneously, nonresponse bias increased over this period, which was mainly driven by increasing refusal bias whereas noncontact bias fluctuated relatively evenly over the same period. Nonresponse biases for individual establishment and employee characteristics did not show a distinct pattern over time with few exceptions. Notably, larger establishments participated less frequently than smaller establishments over the entire period. This implies that survey organizations may need to put more effort into recruiting larger establishments to counteract nonresponse bias.

The Effect of Employee Characteristics on Customer Satisfaction of Islamic Banks Services in Indonesia

This study aims to determine the effect of employee characteristics on customer satisfaction at an Islamic bank in Palu, Indonesia. This study used the quantitative research method. The sample for this study was purposively determined, which of them were 100 Islamic banks customers. A five-scale survey was distributed to the customers, and all of the surveys were returned. Data analysis used SPSS version 17 for the windows program. The research results show that the individual characteristics variables have a significant and positive influence on customer satisfaction at Bank Syariah Mandiri Palu. The R square value was 0.262 means that the individual characteristic variable has an effect at twenty-six percent. For the t-test, the count was 5.900, which means tcount > ttable (5.900 > 0.6770) with a significance level of 0.000 <0.05. Meanwhile, the employee characteristics variable has a significant and positive effect on customer satisfaction at Bank Syariah Mandiri Palu. The R square value was 0.224 means that the individual characteristic variable has an effect of twenty-two percent. For the t-test, the count is 5.317, which means tcount > ttable (5.317 > 0.6770) with a significance level of 0.000 <0.05. We concluded that employees characteristics play important roles in determining customers satisfaction at Islamic banks.

Individual antecedents of i-deals: the role of self-efficacy, networking abilities and perceived employability

PurposeThis study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of self-efficacy, networking abilities and perceived employability on the negotiation of idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) between individual workers and their employers.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 213 managerial professionals – a non-random sample – working for different small and medium-sized enterprises from several industries in Argentina were surveyed online. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results revealed that self-efficacy and networking abilities exert an indirect effect on i-deal negotiation through perceived employability. Those individuals with higher levels of self-efficacy or greater networking abilities tend to develop more positive perceptions of their employability and, therefore, are more prompted to negotiate i-deals with their employers.Research limitations/implicationsThis research sheds light on the dynamics underlying the relationship of employees' characteristics and skills with i-deal negotiation. Besides, it provides further evidence that individual bargaining has become widespread in professional employment contexts, above and beyond the collective labor agreements that prevail in most Latin American countries.Practical implicationsSelf-efficacy and networking abilities can be relevant individual factors in understanding i-deal negotiation, given that both shape employees' perceptions of employability.Originality/valueAlthough the impact of employee characteristics and skills on the idiosyncratic negotiation of employment terms has been broadly recognized, scholars have called for further exploration of the mechanisms underlying this relationship. By simultaneously investigating the impact of self-efficacy, networking abilities and perceived employability on i-deals, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of how an individual's personal characteristics and skills facilitate the idiosyncratic negotiation of employment terms.

Agile characteristics of employees and their role in risk management

Purpose of the study: In order to survive in the face of contemporary risks, organizations are forced to initiate the evolution of employee behavior towards developing agile traits. The article, based on the concept of agility and classification of agile employee characteristics defined in the literature, aims to present the theoretical model of the behavior of agile employees in the face of organizational risk. Methodology: The model presented in the article was developed on the basis of a critical analysis of the literature in the field of agile management and risk management. Main Findings: One of the possible reactions of modern enterprises to the emergence of organizational risk is promoting employee agility. An agile employee is able to effectively anticipate problems related to the occurrence of risk, has the ability to solve problems related to the occurrence of risk. Such an employee is able to implement innovative ideas and perform his duties effectively in stressful conditions, as well as propose new procedures or processes for his area of ​​work. Applications of this study: The presented model of agile behavior of employees in the face of organizational risk is of a utilitarian nature and can be implemented in the organizational culture of various entities, including small and medium-sized enterprises. Novelty/Originality of this Study: Research originality: The article allows for a better understanding of the need to develop agile traits in employees and the possibility of using them to eliminate or minimize risks. The article may be an inspiration for further research on the role of employee agility in the enterprise.

Employer perspectives on their supportive role in promoting sustainable RTW of disabled workers

Background Employers play an important supportive role in facilitating sustainable Return to Work (RTW) of workers with disabilities. Little is understood about how employers deal with their supportive role, what kind of support they offer and which facilitators of employer support are important to successful RTW. Methods A semi-structured interview study was conducted among 27 employer representatives (e.g. supervisors, HR managers, case managers) of companies in the Netherlands who had experience in retaining at least one disabled workers within their company. Participants were included through purposive sampling on sector and company size. Data was analyzed by means of thematic analysis. Results We identified three different types of employer support: 1. instrumental support (offering work accommodations), 2. emotional support (encouragement, empathy, understanding) and 3. informational support (providing information, setting boundaries). Facilitators of employer support were categorized into three main themes: 1. good collaboration, with subthemes (in)formal contact, trustful relationships, mutual responsibilities and (in)formal networks, 2. employer characteristics, including supportive organizational culture, leadership skills and flexibility, and 3. employee characteristics including flexibility and resilience. Conclusions Different types of employer support are considered as important in the RTW process of disabled workers. Besides offering work accommodations, also emotional and informational support are necessary. In addition, good collaboration and flexibility of both employer and employee may be viewed as facilitators for optimizing supervisor and employee interaction during the RTW process. Key messages Instrumental, emotional and informational support by the employer are important in the RTW process of disabled workers. Facilitating factors include collaboration, flexibility and leadership.

Patterns of negative seroconversion in ongoing surveys of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among workers in New York’s largest healthcare system

ObjectivesGiven the importance of continued COVID-19 surveillance, our objective was to present findings from a short follow-up survey of workforce SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing in previously seropositive participants and describe associations between work locations and negative seroconversion.MethodsWe conducted a follow-up cross-sectional survey on previously seropositive healthcare workers, using questionnaires and serology testing. Eligible employees previously consented to be contacted were invited by email to participate in a survey and laboratory blood draws. SAS V.9.4 was used to describe employee characteristics and seroconversion status. Binomial regression models were used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) of seronegativity. The multivariable analyses included age, gender, race/ethnicity, region of residence, work location, prior diagnosis/PCR results and days between antibody tests. Unadjusted and adjusted PRs 95% CIs and p values were reported.ResultsOf the 3990 employees emailed in the follow-up, 1631 completed an exposure survey and generated a blood-draw requisition form. Average time between serology testing was 4 months. Of the 955 employees with complete serology results, 79.1% were female, 53.4% were white and 46.4% resided in Long Island; 176 participants seroconverted to negative. In multivariable regression analyses adjusted for gender, race/ethnicity and region of residence, younger employees (<20–30 years), intensive care unit workers and those with no/negative prior PCR results were more likely to have negative seroconversion.Conclusions and relevancePatterns of negative seroconversion showed significant differences by sociodemographic and workplace characteristics. These results contribute information to workplace serosurveillance.

A Proposed Model for Predicting Employee Turnover of Information Technology Specialists Using Data Mining Techniques

This article proposes a data mining framework to predict the significant explanations of employee turn-over problems. Using Support vector machine, decision tree, deep learning, random forest, and other classification algorithms, the authors propose features prediction framework to determine the influencing factors of employee turn-over problem. The proposed framework categorizes a set of historical behavior such as years at company, over time, performance rating, years since last promotion, and total working years. The proposed framework also classifies demographics features such as Age, Monthly Income, and Distance from Home, Marital Status, Education, and Gender. It also uses attitudinal employee characteristics to determine the reasons for employee turnover in the information technology sector. It has been found that the monthly rate, overtime, and employee age are the most significant factors which cause employee turnover.

Hospitable Non-verbal Staff Behaviour as a Means to Create Value to Customers

Background and aim: Service providers need to be competent in the provision of hospitality. However, the question is, how to operationalize the experience of hospitality? Existing literature shows limited concrete service characteristics that lead to a hospitable experience in service environments. This article presents user-centred research into human-related aspects that influence the hospitality experience of guests. Methods/methodology: Four case studies were performed in a public swimming pool and a catering setting. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, in three of the four cases, regular customers of the organizations were approached by email and asked to rate the importance of behaviours related to hospitable service. In the case of the public swimming pool, part of the data was collected prior to closing of the pool, allowing data collection via survey, on site or via email, depending on visitors’ preferences. Results: The results show which non-verbal employee characteristics contribute to the distinctive factors of hospitality, especially observable behaviour. The factors ‘modest appearance’ and ‘representative appearance’ seem to be of medium importance, and the factor ‘paralanguage’ seems to be the least important factor. Practical implications: This article shows that it is possible to identify concrete characteristics of employee behaviour that people associate with hospitality.

What matters most in achieving customer satisfaction in banking? A study from the perspective of employee characteristics

PurposeThis study aims to identify the factors that influence customer satisfaction in the banking sector from the perspective of employee characteristics. More specifically, this study identifies the impact of employee etiquettes, employee performance, technical selling skills and customer-oriented behavior on customer satisfaction in the banking industry. The study also seeks to investigate the mediating effect of employee etiquettes, employee performance and technical selling skills on the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer-oriented behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected with the help of a Likert scale questionnaire from the active banking customers in Karachi, Pakistan, who visit bank branches once a month minimum. For 268 responses, partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed for hypothesis testing.FindingsThe results showed a positive and significant relationship between customer-oriented behavior and employee etiquettes, technical selling skills and performance. The employee’s customer-oriented behavior, etiquettes, technical selling skills and performance were also found to be significantly related with customer satisfaction. Finally, the results revealed that technical selling skills, employee performance and employee etiquettes partially mediate the relationship between customer-oriented behavior and customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsIt is recommended that banking employees should adopt customer-oriented behavior in order to achieve and maintain customer satisfaction. The bank managers should also work on improving the etiquettes and performance of the employees and provide them detailed technical knowledge of the services and products offered by the bank.Originality/valueArguably, it is one of the first studies to examine the mediating effects of employees' technical selling skills and employees' performance on the relationship between customer orientation and customer satisfaction, specifically in the banking industry.

THE EFFECT OF LEAD (Pb) LEVELS IN THE BLOOD ON HEMOGLOBIN (Hb) LEVELS IN BOOK PRINTING PERSONNEL ON JALAN KARAH SURABAYA

Lead (Pb) is a metal used as raw material for color pigments in printing ink. Pb exposure caused by printing ink can cause an increase in Pb levels in the blood and a decrease in hemoglobin levels. This study aimed to analyze the effect of Pb levels of ink on Pb levels in blood, as well as the effect of Pb levels in the blood on hemoglobin levels in book printing employees on Jalan Karah Surabaya. This study included analytic observational research, the research design used was the cross-sectional design, and the multiple linear correlation test was used for analysis. The results showed that the Pb level in ink had an effect on the Pb level in the blood (p = 0.000; OR = 0.762). The employee characteristics, namely work period, had an effect on Pb level in blood (p = 0.000; OR = 0.883). Age, use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and personal hygiene do not affect the Pb level in the blood. Pb levels in the blood affect blood hemoglobin levels (p = 0.001; OR = -0.724). Employee characteristics, namely their work period, affect blood hemoglobin levels (p = 0.046; OR = -0.4471). Age and nutritional status did not affect the blood hemoglobin level. The conclusion in this study is that Pb levels in ink increases Pb levels in the blood, and Pb levels in the blood decrease blood hemoglobin levels. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor lead levels in the blood by periodic examination every 6 or 12 months. Book printing personnel should also take supplements containing calcium, iron (Fe), and vitamin C to inhibit lead absorption.Keywords: Pb levels in ink, blood Pb levels, Hb levels, printing employees.