Is the future of internships online? An examination of stakeholder attitudes towards online internships

PurposeThe world of work is becoming digital, a process accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and resultant remote working guidelines. Online internships have become more popular in this context, and yet there remains a lack of research investigating how these internships are perceived across stakeholders. The purpose of this paper was to begin to address this research gap by exploring academic, student and employer perceptions of online internships with a focus on employability.Design/methodology/approachThe research explored 156 stakeholders (53 students, 50 academics and, 53 employer/professionals) perceptions via a mixed-methods online study encompassing quantitative responses to internship vignettes, alongside open-ended questions designed to explore stakeholder attitudes in more depth.FindingsStakeholder groups reported similar attitudes towards online internships. Overall, online internships were viewed as valid, flexible, work experience, linked to skill development and likely to enhance student employability. However, concerns were raised regarding communication protocols and development, intern isolation and a lack of organisational immersion.Practical implicationsBased on the research, the authors make three recommendations to continue to enhance and develop the online internship experience: ensure multiple methods of regular communication between student and organisation, attempt virtual immersion in the organisation and assign each intern additional support beyond their immediate supervisor.Originality/valueBased on a holistic and novel analysis of key stakeholders' viewpoints, this paper provides much needed insights and evidence on how to design and quality assure effective online internship practice.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS: MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS

The stress is main issue that affects the individuals’ life from each dimension like their social and professional lives. The occupational stress is employee anxieties and worries about his/her work which is basically the outcome of the various dynamic issues like the working environment, the working load and poor relationships with colleagues and immediate supervisor/leadership. Leadership is important concept whose main role is to inspire the followers/ employees towards attainment of certain well-defines and clear objectives. For this purpose, the leaders use different styles to motivate their employees by considering their needs and resolving their worries at workplaces in which leadership styles (transformational and transactional) is most comprehensive package for employees’ motivation and performance leading to stressless situation at workplace. The results of this study revealed that both leaders’ main responsibility is to encourage followers by using their main attributes to attain institutional aims by offering the suitable and friendly environment where they can contribute freely and deliver effectively efforts and potential by eliminating the politics.

A Study on Relationship Between Subordinates’ Perceptions of Destructive Leadership and Upward Bullying

Many studies have been conducted to understand the existence of workplace bullying in subordinate-supervisor relationship in relation with leadership. However, not many studies have focused on the study of bullying caused by subordinates to the managers (upward bullying) and which behavior of the leader or subordinates leads to this bullying. Upward bullying includes bullying behaviors such as threats or malicious accusations shown by subordinates to their supervisor and destructive leadership includes behavior that undermines motivation or work-related satisfaction of subordinates. The purpose of this study is to explore a significant relationship between subordinate perceptions of destructive leadership and upward bullying. A questionnaire of scales consisting of 34 items was used where upward bullying was found out by using Negative Acts Questionnaire Revised (NAQ-R) scale and to measure destructive leadership, rater form of Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used. One hundred and ninety-three software engineers who are employed in digital (IT) firms have completed an on-line questionnaire of their perceptions of the leadership style and behavior of their immediate supervisor, and the frequency with which they are engaged in specific bullying behaviours targeting their supervisor. The results of the study helped to explore the lacked evidences of upwards bullying and to know the subordinates’ perceptions due to destructive leadership at work environment. The findings revealed that subordinates’ perceptions of destructive supervisory leadership were moderately correlated with an increased incidence of upward bullying. This paper offers support for prevalence of upwards bullying which can be a response to destructive leadership, and as this research is done with a specific sector, it further enhances need of future researches. Few recommendations like educating employees about workplace behaviours at organisations are discussed. Practical implications to be taken by the managers such as self-assessment of managers to improve leadership skills are discussed.

ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

The aim: To reveal the organizational factors of psychological safety in the workplace. Materials and methods: Methods of psychological survey, statistical assessment and analysis of the received data were used. Results: Psychological safety is regarded in the paper as a state of preservation of mind that involves maintaining a balance between the negative effects of the environment and a person’s resilience, that is, the ability to overcome such effects. In the structure of the psychological safety of the organization member three components were identified and explored: cognitive, emotional and “confidence in the future”. The results of the survey study confirmed that such organizational factors as level of organizational culture, working team cohesion, working team self-organization, management style of the immediate supervisor, work autonomy, role ambiguity have positive effect on psychological safety. Conclusions: The results imply the importance of purposeful implementation of company policies aiming to improve the revealed factors: providing autonomy to employees and work groups within the organization, establishing clear job descriptions, work performance requirements and interaction principles, improving works design, internal communications.

The influence of country of origin and espoused national culture on whistleblowing behavior

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine factors motivating an individual to report a whistleblowing scenario to various stakeholders within a company. This paper examines how four factors (country of origin and the espoused national cultures of masculinity, collectivism and uncertainty avoidance) influence the level of responsibility toward three stakeholders at different levels of hierarchy in an organization. Design/methodology/approach Using a case-based approach, this study collects data from 432 accounting students from two different countries. Using regression analysis on the pooled data, this paper provides evidence on how accounting students would behave when facing a whistleblowing situation involving their immediate supervisor. Findings This study finds that country of origin and espoused national cultural values influence the individual’s decision regarding whom to blow the whistle. Originality/value The study has improved upon the methodological deficiencies of previous studies that rely on Hofstede’s (1980) cultural values in that the paper focuses on the espoused national culture at the individual level.

A tale of two leaders: employees’ work–family experiences in the context of dual leadership

PurposeDespite the prevalence and potential benefits of multiauthority organizational structures (i.e. matrix organizations), research is lacking on the resulting impact on employees’ work–family conflict (WFC). The purpose of this article is to use leader–member exchange (LMX) as a framework to examine how employees who report to two leaders experience WFC.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 111 engineers and researchers nested within 33 branches and 21 project teams completed an online questionnaire containing measures of LMX and WFC. Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to test the study’s hypotheses.FindingsLMX with one's immediate supervisor (branch manager, LMX–BM) and project manager ( LMX–PM) each contributed unique variance in predicting WFC. LMX–PM moderated the negative relationship between LMX–BM and WFC, such that the negative relationship was stronger in magnitude at higher levels of LMX–PM quality.Research limitations/implicationsWhile most research studies have focused upon the impact of a single leader, modern organizations often involve dual reporting. Thus, results expand the extant literature to be more applicable to modern organizational realities. Findings provide evidence that future longitudinal research is worthwhile.Practical implicationsResults indicate that LMX theory is relevant beyond one's immediate supervisor. As a result, all managers should communicate with one another to seek better alignment. Particularly in a matrix organization where positional power is limited, leaders stand to reap the many benefits of high LMX relationships.Originality/valueThis study is the first among its type to examine LMX in a dual reporting context, and it is also the first to examine the impacts of dual reporting on WFC.

Job Satisfaction and Its Associated Factors Among Governmental Health Workers in West Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Background: Job satisfaction is an important determinant of workers' motivation, retention, and performance. Each individual working in different segments of the health sector has an impact on the quality and accessibility of the services the health care system provides to the community. Many studies assessed health care workers' job satisfaction. However, the majority of previous studies focused on specific health professionals and facilities. The present study assessed job satisfaction and its associated factors among governmental health workers in West Shoa Zone, Oromia, EthiopiaMethods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in West Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, from March 23/2020 to April 15/2020. A total of 429 health workers were identified from type A, B, and C districts. Participants were proportionally allocated for each district and the individual participant was selected using simple random sampling methods. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and entered into EpiInfo 7. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22 software. Mean and/or median were used for continuous variables, whereas; the percentage was used for categorical variables. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was done to assess the association between each independent variable and outcome variable. Multivariate binary logistic regression using adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated to assess the strength of association. Results: From the total of 429 study participants, 422 of them were fully responded to the survey with a response rate of 98.3%. The overall level of job satisfaction was 46%. Management. The policy of the worker organization [AOR 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03-.21)], the relationship among the workers [AOR 0.08(95% CI .03-.23], presence of benefit package [AOR 0.07, (95% CI .02-.22], work environment [AOR 0.11, (95% CI: 0. 04-.31], personal growth and development [AOR 0.11 (95% CI: 0.04-.33], supportive supervision from immediate supervisor [AOR 0.04 (95% CI: 0.014-.14] and the nature of work category [AOR 0.03 (95% CI: 0.01-.1] were independently associated with job satisfaction. Conclusions: The overall job satisfaction of health workers in the study area was low. Management and policy of the worker organization, the relationship among the workers, presence of benefit package, work conditioning, personal growth, and development, supportive supervision from immediate supervisor and the nature of work category were among the predictor of job satisfaction.

Examining the Experiences of Remaining Employees after a Coworker Dismissal: Initial Message Characteristics, Information Seeking, Uncertainty, and Perceived Social Costs

Organizational exit can be turbulent. This study examines the communication surrounding coworker dismissal, including how remaining employees learn about a coworker’s dismissal and what predicts remaining employees’ information seeking, uncertainty, and perceptions of social costs related to information seeking. Statistical and content analyses were conducted on survey data gathered from 220 participants. Remaining employees most often learned about their coworker’s dismissal from another coworker or the remaining employees’ immediate supervisor; via individual, face-to-face meetings; with moderate formality; at some point within a day of the dismissal; with varying content. Age predicted uncertainty and perceived social costs of information seeking. Message characteristics predicted uncertainty, while interaction frequency predicted the perceived social costs of information seeking. Uncertainty did not predict information-seeking strategy use. Greater perceived social costs predicted less overt questioning and greater observing and testing. This study extends uncertainty reduction and management theories and offers managers advice about communicating coworker terminations.

Building organizational trust through internal communication

PurposeAlthough multiple research studies disclosed that internal communication is effective in building trust within organizations, the link between employees' satisfaction with internal communication and their trust in their employers has not been explored. The paper explores the interrelationship between eight facets of internal communication satisfaction (ICS) and five dimensions of organizational trust (OT).Design/methodology/approachThe quantitative questionnaire-based field research was conducted on a sample of 289 employees. For the assessment of the ICS, the Internal Communication Satisfaction Scale – UPZIK developed by Tkalac Vercic et al. (2009) was used. OT was assessed using the scale developed by Shockley-Zalabak et al. (2000).FindingsThe research revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between the ICS and OT, both when considering five individual OT dimensions and the overall OT. Moreover, two ICS dimensions – “Satisfaction with communication climate” and “Satisfaction with communication with immediate supervisor” – were found to be the strongest predictors of OT.Originality/valueThe research adds to the discussion of antecedents of trust in organizations by positioning the ICS as a powerful generator of OT.

Usprawnienie przepływu informacji w instytucji sektora publicznego

The study concerns the study of the workflow process in the organizational unit of the Ministry of National Defense. The results of analyzes of the management system and workflows between the positions made it possible to formulate an assessment in the scope of: • diagnoses – detection of irregularities and weaknesses in the workflow process that allow modification of procedures, and taking corrective action for detected problems, • defining discrepancies – the awareness of the top management of the area of communication is radically different from the experience of subordinate employees, • shaping – satisfaction with the workflow process depends on the possibility of expressing employees' opinions and taking them into account when developing improvement proposals, • explanation – the sense of information is the result of making employees and management aware that the most useful source of information is the immediate supervisor, • improvement – evaluation of the implementation of solutions that are recommendations of the previous audit and maintaining corrective and preventive measures of disruptions is ensured by an efficient workflow system. In accordance with the principle of continuous improvement, the assessment of the functioning of the work flow in the audited institution has also become a tool enabling the improvement of functioning procedures and processes.