The indirect effect of high-performance work practices on employees’ performance through trust in management

Purpose The construction industry activities play a key role in achieving socio-economic development and sustaining economic growth in many countries. Increased awareness about the role of human resource management in employee performance has led construction firms to evaluate and focus on high-performance work practices (HPWPs) components, which intend to cultivate employee and organizational performance. This study aims to explain HPWPs affect employee performances through the mediating influence of trust in management in Aqaba, Jordan. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was administered to collect data among the contractors Grade1 across Aqaba, Jordan. This research was designed as a quantitative study and data were collected at one point of time. In total, 311 questionnaires were returned and only 279 completed questionnaires to test the relationship between HPWPs and employee performances according to the ability, motivation and opportunity conceptualized framework. The partial least squares technique was adopted to test the proposed relationships. Findings The results present that extensive training, rewards based on performance and job security have a significant relationship with trust in management. Trust in management exerts partial mediation effects between HPWPs (extensive training, rewards based on performance and job security) and employee performance (creativity and innovation). Originality/value The findings of the study provide useful and original information to improve the overall performance of construction firms.

Literature Review: Readiness to Change at the University

Background: The study of readiness to change in the context of the University is needed in a situation to prepare for the 4.0 industrial revolution at the University which demands preparation in facing the VUCA era. The university is also in danger of being disrupted if it does not immediately make changes and adjustments to its role in the world of education. therefore readiness for change is the key for organizations to respond quickly and successfully to change. Methods: review the literature with a literature search strategy through publish or perish (the keywords used are readiness to change, universities, tertiary institutions). Results: 96 journal articles were found in publish or perish (step 1). The author manually screened the titles for inclusion and exclusion criteria to obtain 15 articles (step 2). All articles were subjected to an abstract review for screening according to criteria. From the results of the final selection, 11 reviewed journal articles were obtained. Conclusion: Acceptance and readiness to change is an important part of the organization especially the University which requires immediate attention. Need to be open to changes made before preparing for change. Alignment of the organization's vision and mission with employees' personal needs to be created by communicating messages of change so that they tend to have a positive attitude towards organizational change. Besides, trust in management proved to be important in implementing strategic decisions and an important determinant of employee openness to change. Keywords: Readiness to Change, University, Campus

Not All Demands Are Exhausted for Healthcare Workers. A Cross-Lagged Study on the Buffering Effect of Leadership Resources

This study investigated the cross-lagged effects of a three job demands on exhaustion and buffering function of leadership resources among Polish healthcare workers. Job demands include quantitative and two emotional (related to engaging in the patient’s personal problems and related to hiding emotions) demands, while leadership resources include quality of leadership and trust in management. The study was conducted in two waves (both of them in COVID-19 pandemic), with a one-year interval between the measurements. Data were collected among 1251 healthcare workers. A moderated regression analysis showed that quantitative demands and demands for hiding emotions (T1 but not emotionally engagement in the patient’s personal problems) were related to high exhaustion (T2). Both leadership resources (T1) diminished the negative impact of quantitative (not emotional) demands on exhaustion, but the buffering effect of trust was stronger. Furthermore, the two leadership resources interact with each other and together neutralize the effects of quantitative demands. Specifically, the lowest level of exhaustion was observed in those healthcare workers who had high levels of both resources, measured one year before. The implications for theory and research on the effects of different job demands on exhaustion in pandemic are discussed.

New short scale to measure workers’ attitudes toward the implementation of cooperative robots in industrial work settings: Instrument development and exploration of attitude structure

Technological innovations are oftentimes accompanied by organizational change processes. A new context-specific questionnaire was developed as a diagnostic tool to measure workers’ attitudes toward mobile manufacturing robots to provide a basis for managerial decisions and interventions – the “Attitudes toward Cooperative Industrial Robots Questionnaire” (ACIR-Q). Two samples, an online sample of 355 German manufacturing workers and a field sample of 201 workers from 4 local manufacturing companies were collected. For a large item pool, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the attitudinal factor structure. Data showed a combined affective-behavioral factor and two cognitive factors on task-related and social-related beliefs. Based on this, the 12-item short scale ACIR-Q was derived using ant colony optimization. As attitudes can also be interpreted as networks of evaluative responses, network analysis was used for further insights. The small-world network structure (high clustering and connectivity) allows to hold complex attitudes and centrality measures indicate the most influential evaluative responses. Additionally, we explored relationships between workers attitudes and interpersonal variables (perceived competence, perceived control, and general self-efficacy), as well as organizational variables (trust in management, support climate, job insecurity and job characteristics). Based on the results, practical implications are suggested to improve workers’ attitudes.

Information on the Distribution of Cadmium in Agricultural Land in the Middle of the Serayu Watershed

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that is prohibited in food products. In the long term, consumption of food containing Cd can cause cancer (it is a direct carcinogen in humans). Poor management of the Serayu watershed has resulted in pollution of the surrounding land. Meanwhile, trust in management must be built within the framework of trade in the Industrial Era 4.0, which is developing continuously in world trade relations. This study aimed to obtain information on the distribution of Cd in agricultural soils in the middle of the Serayu watershed in March-August 2017. A total of 220 soil samples were taken using the GRID method, and the analysis of Cd concentration was determined by atomic absorption spectrofotometry (AAS). The results showed that Cd was detected in 142 soil samples in the range of 1.0-<1.5 mg kg−1 and detected in the range of 0.5-<1.0 mg kg−1 in 78 soil samples. The results were non-normally distributed with a clustered distribution pattern. The average value of the distribution of Cd in agricultural land in the middle of Serayu watershed was 1.21 mg kg−1, and the highest Cd concentration was 2.18 mg kg−1. The Cd concentration in the middle of the Serayu watershed is classified within the safe category because the concentration is still below the critical Cd threshold value of 3-8 mg kg−1. Keywords: agricultural land, cadmium, distribution, the middle of Serayu watershed

Organizational career management and turnover intentions: mediating role of trust in management

Purpose The contemporary career development models argued more for self-management of careers, yet few researchers emphasized importance of organizational career management. The purpose of this paper is to check association between perceived organizational career management practices, trust in management and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach In this study, authors proposed a model based on social exchange theory. Data for this study were collected from 405 IT professionals employed in India. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling. Findings Results showed significant direct and indirect negative effect of perceived informal organizational career management on turnover intention. In case of perceived formal organizational career management only indirect effect was significant. Trust in management mediated relationship between both types of organizational career management and turnover intentions. Originality/value First, this study delineated effect of formal and informal perceived organizational career management practices on turnover intentions. Second, this study introduced trust in management as mediator to explain relationship between organizational career management practice and outcome.

Work Engagement During Pandemic: Is Organizational Trust Still Relevant?

In the present study, we tested the relationship between organizational trust and engagement. The study investigated how the three factors of organizational trust including trust in management, trust in supervisor and trust in coworkers can predict work engagement. The study collected data through sampling employees working in the retail food businesses in Sweden via social media. The study applied structural equation modelling on the final sample of 199 to test the three factors of organizational trust and their relationship with work engagement and found significant positive results for all. The study found that employees who expressed trust in the top management resulted in enhancing their work engagement. Furthermore, employees who had trust in their immediate supervisors for their facilitation, support and acknowledgement were also able to boost their engagement. Lastly, trust in coworkers also helped employees to enhance their work well-being, in other words predicting work engagement. The study offers discussion on the findings, implications, and recommendations for future research.

Examination of Employees’ Reaction to Organizational Change in Mekelle Revenue and Customs Authority, Ethiopia

This study examines employees’ reactions to organizational change in Ethiopia, specifically in the Meklle Revenue and Customs Authority (MRCA). The study's main aim is to evaluate the influence of the following variables: Employees’ fear of the Effect of the Change (EFEC), Employees’ Self-trust in Learning and Development (ESLD), Employees’ understanding upon the Process of organizational Changes (EPC), Employees’ Trust in Management (ETM), Employees’ understanding upon Organizational change Planning (EOP) and the Time Employees’ need to understand Change (TEC) towards achieving organizational change. In the introductory part, the study explains basic aspects of change management and problems of organizational changes. The main part of the study focused with the investigation of the selected factors influencing employee’s reaction to organizational changes. By using the survey process, researchers used quantitative data, and standardized survey questionnaires were distributed to 359 employees. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS. The researcher used the Pearson's correlation matrix to explain how the dependent and independent variables are related, and multiple regression tools to investigate the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. The result of the research indicates all selected variables except the employees’ level of understanding upon the process of changes (EPC) have a direct influence on employees’ reaction to organizational change.

Examination of Employees’ Reaction to Organizational Change in Mekelle Revenue and Customs Authority, Ethiopia

This study examines employees’ reactions to organizational change in Ethiopia, specifically in the Meklle Revenue and Customs Authority (MRCA). The study's main aim is to evaluate the influence of the following variables: Employees’ fear of the Effect of the Change (EFEC), Employees’ Self-trust in Learning and Development (ESLD), Employees’ understanding upon the Process of organizational Changes (EPC), Employees’ Trust in Management (ETM), Employees’ understanding upon Organizational change Planning (EOP) and the Time Employees’ need to understand Change (TEC) towards achieving organizational change. In the introductory part, the study explains basic aspects of change management and problems of organizational changes. The main part of the study focused with the investigation of the selected factors influencing employee’s reaction to organizational changes. By using the survey process, researchers used quantitative data, and standardized survey questionnaires were distributed to 359 employees. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS. The researcher used the Pearson's correlation matrix to explain how the dependent and independent variables are related, and multiple regression tools to investigate the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. The result of the research indicates all selected variables except the employees’ level of understanding upon the process of changes (EPC) have a direct influence on employees’ reaction to organizational change.

Flexible working practices and job-related anxiety: Examining the roles of trust in management and job autonomy

Although flexible working practices (FWPs) have been associated with positive individual outcomes, less is known about ‘how’ and ‘why’ such associations occur. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this study examines the mediating and moderating processes which underpin the relationship between FWPs and job-related anxiety. The study’s hypotheses, proposing a moderated mediation model, are tested using data from Britain’s Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) 2011. The results of generalised multilevel structural equation modelling (GMSEM) reveal that FWPs increase trust in management (TIM), which, in turn, decreases job-related anxiety. Furthermore, job autonomy moderates both the positive relationship between FWPs and TIM and the indirect relationship between FWPs and job anxiety through TIM, such that the mediated relationship becomes stronger when perceived autonomy is high. Our study encourages focusing on FWPs, as these stimulate perceptions of resource gain spiral, and the integrated influence of resources accumulated through such positive gain spirals promotes well-being.