Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Work Organization (work + organization)
Selected AbstractsSkills, Flexible Manufacturing Technology, and Work OrganizationINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 1 2002H. Frederick Gale This study employs a national survey of over 3000 U.S. manufacturing establishments to explore associations between worker skill requirements and use of production and telecommunications technologies, work organization, and other management practices. Ordered probit equations show an empirical link between increases in each of six types of skill requirements, as reported by plant managers, and the use of flexible technologies and work organization practices. Technology use is most strongly linked to computer skill requirements. Work organization practices were strongly associated with problem-solving and interpersonal skill increases, suggesting that new work organization practices are broadening the set of skills sought by manufacturers. Traditional academic skills (e.g., math and reading) also were linked to the use of flexible technologies and work organization practices, but increases in these skill requirements were reported less frequently than were requirements for computer, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. [source] Beyond corporate codes of conduct: Work organization and labour standards at Nike's suppliersINTERNATIONAL LABOUR REVIEW, Issue 1-2 2007Richard LOCKE What role can corporate codes of conduct play in monitoring compliance with international labour standards and improving working conditions in global supply chains? Addressing this question, the authors first summarize the results of research on factory audits of working conditions in 800 of Nike's suppliers in 51 countries and two intensive case studies. They then discuss how the codes fit into the broader array of institutions, policies and practices aimed at regulating and improving working conditions, suggesting an evolutionary and complementary approach to regulating working conditions in global supply chains. They outline additional research and institutional innovations needed to test these ideas. [source] Staying with People Who Slap Us Around: Gender, Juggling Responsibilities and Violence in Paid (and Unpaid) Care WorkGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 2 2006Donna BainesArticle first published online: 13 FEB 200 Little is actually known about women's occupational health, let alone how men and women may experience similar jobs and health risks differently. Drawing on data from a larger study of social service workers, this article examines four areas where gender is pivotal to the new ways of organizing caring labour, including the expansion of unpaid work and the use of personal resources to subsidize agency resources; gender-neutral violence; gender-specific violence and the juggling of home and work responsibilities. Collective assumptions and expectations about how men and women should perform care work result in men's partial insulation from the more intense forms of exploitation, stress and violence. This article looks at health risks, not merely as compensable occupational health concerns, but as avoidable products of forms of work organization that draw on notions of the endlessly stretchable capacity of women to provide care work in any context, including a context of violence. Indeed, the logic of women's elastic caring appear crucial to the survival of some agencies and the gender order in these workplaces. [source] Psychosocial risk exposures and musculoskeletal disorders across working-age males and femalesHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 4 2010John Collins Abstract In 2008, The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) reported that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were the most common work-related health problem in Europe. Females are considered more susceptible to MSDs than are males, and older workers are more vulnerable than are younger workers. Factors specific to the job, work organization, and individual have been implicated as potential risk factors, with current interest focusing on psychosocial risk factors and the pathology of disorders. Although there is some disagreement in the literature, there is growing support that, after controlling for exposure, females have a predisposition to MSDs. More is known of the role of psychosocial risks in MSD etiology, but it is unclear if there are differences in exposures across gender and age and if this has a resultant effect on injury rates. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MSDs and trends with psychosocial risks, across age and gender. The study group consisted of 200 female and 132 male employees from varied occupations within Ireland, ranging from age 18,66 years. The most prevalent symptoms of MSDs were for the lower back, shoulder, and neck regions. Age and gender differences in prevalence were evident for these regions. There was a general trend for increasing prevalence with age. For the psychosocial risks, significant differences in job content exposures were observed across age groups for males (p < 0.05) and females (p < 0.0005). There were also differences in scores across the age groups for mental health (p < 0.0005) and insecurity at work (p < 0.0005) for the females. The conclusions are that there were not sufficiently strong differences in exposures to relevant psychosocial risks both between genders and across age for a resultant effect on MSDs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Innovative Work Practices, Information Technologies, and Working Conditions: Evidence for FranceINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 4 2010PHILIPPE ASKENAZY We investigate the impact of new work practices and information and communication technologies (ICT) on working conditions in France. We use a unique French dataset providing information on individual workers for the year 1998. New work practices include the use of quality norms, job rotation, collective discussions on work organization, and work time flexibility. Working conditions are captured by occupational injuries as well as indicators of mental strain. We find that individuals working under the new practices face greater mental strain than individuals who do not. They also face a higher probability of work injuries, at least for benign ones. In contrast, our results suggest that ICT contribute to make the workplace more cooperative and to reduce occupational risks and injuries. [source] U.S. High-Performance Work Practices at Century's EndINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 4 2006JOSEPH R. BLASI This study examines the incidence, industry differences, and economic environment of work practices in the United States in 1994 and 1997 using census data from a nationally representative random sample of establishments. Self-managed work teams were used by a majority of workers in some sites. Work-related meetings had higher incidence. A high-performance work organization is used in about 1 percent of establishments. There were significant industry differences associated with globalization, namely, imports and exports. [source] Skills, Flexible Manufacturing Technology, and Work OrganizationINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 1 2002H. Frederick Gale This study employs a national survey of over 3000 U.S. manufacturing establishments to explore associations between worker skill requirements and use of production and telecommunications technologies, work organization, and other management practices. Ordered probit equations show an empirical link between increases in each of six types of skill requirements, as reported by plant managers, and the use of flexible technologies and work organization practices. Technology use is most strongly linked to computer skill requirements. Work organization practices were strongly associated with problem-solving and interpersonal skill increases, suggesting that new work organization practices are broadening the set of skills sought by manufacturers. Traditional academic skills (e.g., math and reading) also were linked to the use of flexible technologies and work organization practices, but increases in these skill requirements were reported less frequently than were requirements for computer, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. [source] Downsizing and reorganization: demands, challenges and ambiguity for registered nursesJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2004Anna Hertting MD Background., The 1990s were characterized by substantial financial cuts, and related staff redundancies and reorganizations in the Swedish health care sector. A large hospital in Sweden was selected for the study, in which downsizing had occurred between 1995 and 1997. The number of staff in the hospital was reduced by an average of 20%, and 10% were relocated to other departments. Objective., The aims of this study were to explore registered nurses' experiences of psychosocial ,stressors' and ,motivators', and how they handled their work situations, following a period of personnel reductions and ongoing reorganization. Method., Interviews were undertaken with 14 nurses working in one Swedish hospital. Nurses were interviewed in 1997 about the recent and last round of redundancies, and were followed up 1 year later in 1998 and again in 2001. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed for thematic content. Results., Five themes emerged in relation to nurses' perceived stressors, motivators, and coping options: ,distrust towards the employer', ,concurrent demands and challenges', ,professional ambiguity, ,a wish for collaboration', and ,efforts to gain control'. A common feature was duality and ambiguity in nurses' descriptions of the phenomena studied, meaning that identified themes had underlying sub-themes with both negative and positive dimensions. Conclusions., The concurrence of ,ever-growing job demands' and ,work going unrewarded' contributed to a feeling of being taken advantage of by the employer. The ,waste of human resources' and ,competence drain' that followed redundancies provoked anger. Unfulfilled collaboration with doctors was a major stress producer, which related to both the downsized work organization, and the complex ,deference-dominance' doctor,nurse relationship. The well-being of nurses depends on being an equal/parallel health professional in a comprehensive team that shares knowledge and improves collaborative care of patients. A consciously formulated nursing philosophy emerged as a health-promoting resource. This study demonstrates the importance of analysing feelings relating to professional ambiguity and gaining influence in a gender-related, hierarchical environment, and the need to support professional assertiveness in relation to superiors and doctors. It is also important to stress considerations that relate to differences in the age, care philosophy, and psychosocial health conditions of nurses. [source] ORGANIZATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL COMMITMENT: KNOWLEDGE WORKERS IN LARGE CORPORATIONS*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 6 2002TAM YEUK-MUI MAY Previous discussion of knowledge work and workers tends to overlook the importance of contextual knowledge in shaping the organizational form of knowledge workers who are employees in large corporations. This paper proposes a model to understand the way knowledge base and organizational form are related to the work commitment, effort and job satisfaction of knowledge workers. The model is derived from (1) a critical examination of the market model of knowledge work organization, and (2) the results of empirical research conducted in two large corporations. We argue that contextual knowledge is important in the relationships between the corporation and knowledge workers. A dualistic model and an enclave organizational form are suggested to examine the relationships between the commitment, work effort and job satisfaction of knowledge workers. We noted from our empirical cases that enclave-like work teams enhanced the expertise and job autonomy of knowledge workers vis-à-vis management. These work teams together with the performance-based pay system, however, led to unmet job expectations including limited employee influence over decision-making and careers, and communication gaps with senior management. Under these circumstances, and in contrast to the impact of occupational commitment, organizational commitment did not contribute to work effort. The study highlights the importance of management's strategy in shaping the organizational form of knowledge work. The paper concludes by noting general implications of our study for the management of expertise and for further research. [source] Nurses' everyday activities in hospital careJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2009CARINA FURÅKER BSn Aim, This study aims at examining nurses' work in somatic and psychiatric wards in a hospital in Sweden. Background, It is asked whether the humanistic ideology, emphasizing holistic care and human interaction more than practical skills, which has become widespread in the Swedish nursing education programmes, fits with the actual work that nurses carry out. Method, In this study, diaries on work activities were written during 5 days by 30 nurses. Results, It turned out that the nurses generally spend 38% of their working time with patients (nursing) and the remaining time on other activities. Discussion, There are certain differences between clinics and they can to some extent be explained by differences in work organization. Conclusion, The results in this piece of research indicate that a relatively small proportion of nurses' working time is used for general and specific nursing. It should be asked whether or to what extent the humanistic and holistic perspective taught in nursing education will be utilized in practical nursing. [source] Immigration, employment relations, and health: Developing a research agendaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010Joan Benach Abstract Background International migration has emerged as a global issue that has transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of persons. Migrant workers contribute to the economic growth of high-income countries often serving as the labour force performing dangerous, dirty and degrading work that nationals are reluctant to perform. Methods Critical examination of the scientific and "grey" literatures on immigration, employment relations and health. Results Both lay and scientific literatures indicate that public health researchers should be concerned about the health consequences of migration processes. Migrant workers are more represented in dangerous industries and in hazardous jobs, occupations and tasks. They are often hired as labourers in precarious jobs with poverty wages and experience more serious abuse and exploitation at the workplace. Also, analyses document migrant workers' problems of social exclusion, lack of health and safety training, fear of reprisals for demanding better working conditions, linguistic and cultural barriers that minimize the effectiveness of training, incomplete OHS surveillance of foreign workers and difficulty accessing care and compensation when injured. Therefore migrant status can be an important source of occupational health inequalities. Conclusions Available evidence shows that the employment conditions and associated work organization of most migrant workers are dangerous to their health. The overall impact of immigration on population health, however, still is poorly understood and many mechanisms, pathways and overall health impact are poorly documented. Current limitations highlight the need to engage in explicit analytical, intervention and policy research. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:338,343, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Musculoskeletal problems of the neck, shoulder, and back and functional consequences in nursesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2002Alison M. Trinkoff ScD Abstract Background Though musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are highly prevalent among registered nurses (RNs), little is known about functional consequences of MSDs in nurses. Methods Data on neck, shoulder, and back MSD problems were analyzed in 1,163 working nurses (response rate,=,74%). Cases had relevant symptoms lasting at least 1 week or occurring at least monthly in the past year, with at least moderate pain intensity, on average. MSD problems with a frequency, duration, or pain intensity below the level needed to meet the case definition were defined as MSD symptoms. Those who did not meet symptom or case criteria at any body site were defined as asymptomatic. Odds of consequences (e.g., saw a doctor/provider, missed work, reduced/modified work, non-work activities, or recreation, medication use, inadequate sleep) were estimated for cases versus those with symptoms. Results We found 45.8, 35.1, and 47.0% of nurses had neck, shoulder, or back MSD problems (either at the case or symptom level), respectively, within the past year. Cases were far more likely to have seen a provider versus those with symptoms (adjusted odds ratio, aOR Neck: 4.33, 95% CI: 2.85,6.56; aOR Shoulder: 4.83, 95% CI: 3.00,7.77; aOR Back: 3.69, 95% CI: 2.47,5.49). Cases also were more likely to experience all other functional consequences. Conclusions MSD consequences are substantial and suggest opportunities for intervention. Future research will examine the impact of work organization and physical demands on MSDs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:170,178, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Individual versus social complexity, with particular reference to ant coloniesBIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 2 2001CARL ANDERSON ABSTRACT Insect societies , colonies of ants, bees, wasps and termites , vary enormously in their social complexity. Social complexity is a broadly used term that encompasses many individual and colony-level traits and characteristics such as colony size, polymorphism and foraging strategy. A number of earlier studies have considered the relationships among various correlates of social complexity in insect societies; in this review, we build upon those studies by proposing additional correlates and show how all correlates can be integrated in a common explanatory framework. The various correlates are divided among four broad categories (sections). Under ,polyphenism' we consider the differences among individuals, in particular focusing upon ,caste' and specialization of individuals. This is followed by a section on ,totipotency' in which we consider the autonomy and subjugation of individuals. Under this heading we consider various aspects such as intracolony conflict, worker reproductive potential and physiological or morphological restrictions which limit individuals' capacities to perform a range of tasks or functions. A section entitled ,organization of work' considers a variety of aspects, e.g. the ability to tackle group, team or partitioned tasks, foraging strategies and colony reliability and efficiency. A final section,,communication and functional integration', considers how individual activity is coordinated to produce an integrated and adaptive colony. Within each section we use illustrative examples drawn from the social insect literature (mostly from ants, for which there is the best data) to illustrate concepts or trends and make a number of predictions concerning how a particular trait is expected to correlate with other aspects of social complexity. Within each section we also expand the scope of the arguments to consider these relationships in a much broader sense of'sociality' by drawing parallels with other ,social' entities such as multicellular individuals, which can be understood as ,societies' of cells. The aim is to draw out any parallels and common causal relationships among the correlates. Two themes run through the study. The first is the role of colony size as an important factor affecting social complexity. The second is the complexity of individual workers in relation to the complexity of the colony. Consequently, this is an ideal opportunity to test a previously proposed hypothesis that ,individuals of highly social ant species are less complex than individuals from simple ant species' in light of numerous social correlates. Our findings support this hypothesis. In summary, we conclude that, in general, complex societies are characterized by large colony size, worker polymorphism, strong behavioural specialization and loss of totipotency in its workers, low individual complexity, decentralized colony control and high system redundancy, low individual competence, a high degree of worker cooperation when tackling tasks, group foraging strategies, high tempo, multi-chambered tailor-made nests, high functional integration, relatively greater use of cues and modulatory signals to coordinate individuals and heterogeneous patterns of worker-worker interaction. Key words: Ants, insect societies, individual complexity, social complexity, polyphenism, totitpotency, work organization, functional integration, sociality. [source] Beyond the High-Performance Paradigm?BRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 1 2001An Analysis of Variation in Canadian Managerial Perceptions of Reform Programme Effectiveness Proponents of the high-performance paradigm often argue that the variable success of new forms of work organization is explained primarily by a failure to implement them comprehensively and to adopt complementary HRM practices. This paper argues that these explanations are inadequate and develops an alternative, political economy approach which accounts more fully for how conflicts embedded in the employment relation limit the effectiveness of reforms. It draws on a unique longitudinal data set representing 78 Canadian workplaces to analyse the extent to which reform programme content, pre-existing HRM conditions and workplace context variables are associated with reform programme effectiveness. [source] THE BODY SPEAKS: BION'S PROTOMENTAL SYSTEM AT WORK1BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, Issue 4 2009Richard Morgan-Jones abstract Psychoanalysis has primarily explored somatic experience in relation to love and intimacy. This paper focuses on the body in relation to work. It explores the experience that what patients increasingly present for analysis are the traumas and pleasures of being caught up with and belonging to a body larger than their own, whether in a couple, a group, a work organization or the body politic. It begins with an exploration of Bion's idea of a relationship between protomentality and group disease. It goes on to consider what can be conceived of as his ecological methodology, which enables movement between different ,fields of study' (Bion 1962). These are applied to the health risks encountered by psychotherapists and the profession as a whole. Finally, there is a proposal for mentoring to address professional health, as an under-developed element in the profession. [source] Working together: neonatal nurse practitioners in practiceACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2 2002ME Redshaw The aim of this study was to examine the relatively new role of neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) in the United Kingdom, comparing practice in different types of neonatal units and work undertaken by junior medical staff (JMS). Diary checklists sent to the total population of qualified NNPs in neonatal units (NNUs) and JMS in six regional centres with qualified NNPs were returned from 68 out of 109 qualified NNPs (62%), working in 50 different NNUs and from 25 out of 48 JMS (52%). Direct observations (totalling 263.5 h) were made by an experienced neonatal nurse researcher on 30 different NNPs. Frequencies of activities and specific procedures were compared between groups. Observational measures included type and duration of activity and interactions with other members of staff. NNPs were found to be undertaking a range of activities: in the NNU, which usually involved blood sampling, siting of intravenous cannulae, presenting at ward rounds and teaching. Outside the unit, NNPs attended the delivery suite and the postnatal ward. Significant differences were found in the nature and organization of their work in different types of NNUs. A comparison between NNPs and JMS showed similar activities, with greater direct involvement by NNPs in the NNU and in teaching. The diary data were supported by observations and together these are evidence of current NNP practice. Conclusion: To a large extent there is an overlap in the work of JMS and NNPs in neonatal units, but although the clinical work and areas of activity are similar, there are differences in emphasis and in work organization. [source] Sex Composition, Masculinity Stereotype Dissimilarity and the Quality of Men's Workplace Social RelationsGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 5 2003Sharon R. Bird Previous research suggests that the quality of men's work group social relations varies depending on the sex composition of the work unit. Previous studies also suggest that men derive different benefits from working with other men than with women and that the higher status associated with men and masculinity advantages men in their relations with women workers. Previous sex composition studies tell us little, however, about the extent to which the quality of men's work group social relations with women and other men depends on how well a man fits dominant masculinity stereotypes. Drawing on sex composition and gender constructionist approaches to gender and work I investigate in this study the effects of men's individual similarity to masculinity stereotypes on the affective quality of their social relations with coworkers, given the sex composition of their work groups. The data for this study consist of male, mostly white, non-faculty employees of a public university in the northwest United States. I discuss my results in terms of both individual outcomes and implications for understanding sex and gender inequalities in work organizations. [source] The Crafting of Community: Recoupling Discourses of Management and WomanhoodGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 3 2001Valérie Fournier The construction of organizations around images of masculinity makes the position of ,women managers' a problematic one which calls for ,remedial work' (Gherardi 1995). Women managers have sought to reconcile their dualistic positions by deploying various individual and collective coping strategies typically articulated within the boundaries of their organizations. In contrast, we research a group of senior women from a British city in the Midlands who attempt to renegotiate their conflicting identities as ,female' and ,senior managers' by creating a collective forum outside their organizations. Through the construction of a ,learning set', they created a space where members could explore their terms of participation, as women and as managers, in their respective work organizations and in the local community. This space was articulated implicitly and explicitly around values typically associated with ,community' (e.g. sharing, support, trust, loyalty), a controversial concept in feminist politics. The article documents the (fragile and contested) processes by which these women mobilize the imagery of community in order to create a safe space where ,remedial work' could be performed. The conclusion stresses the ambivalent effects of the learning set in both reproducing and transgressing gendered positions. [source] Predicting autonomous and controlled motivation to transfer trainingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2009Andreas Gegenfurtner In spite of a broad consensus on the importance of motivation for the transfer of learning from training to the job in work organizations, studies investigating motivation to transfer are limited. This study combines the self-determination theory, the expectancy theory and the theory of planned behaviour to provide a theoretical framework for investigating attitudes towards training content, relatedness and instructional satisfaction as predictors of two dimensions of transfer motivation: autonomous motivation to transfer and controlled motivation to transfer. A total of 444 subjects, trained in 23 occupational health and safety training courses, completed multi-item questionnaires immediately following training. Structural equation modelling procedures indicate that controlled motivation to transfer was affected by attitudes towards training content and that autonomous motivation to transfer was affected by attitudes, relatedness and instructional satisfaction. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications for training effectiveness associated with the interplay of motivation and transfer in professional training. [source] Intrinsic Need Satisfaction: A Motivational Basis of Performance and Weil-Being in Two Work Settings,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 10 2004Paul P. Baard Studies in 2 work organizations tested a self-determination theory based model in which employees' autonomous causality orientation and their perceptions of their managers' autonomy support independently predicted satisfaction of the employees' intrinsic needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, which in turn predicted their performance evaluations and psychological adjustment. Path analysis indicated that the self-determination theory model fit the data very well and that alternative models did not provide any advantage. [source] Conceptualizing Employee Silence and Employee Voice as Multidimensional Constructs*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 6 2003Linn Van Dyne ABSTRACT Employees often have ideas, information, and opinions for constructive ways to improve work and work organizations. Sometimes these employees exercise voice and express their ideas, information, and opinions; and other times they engage in silence and withhold their ideas, information, and opinions. On the surface, expressing and withholding behaviours might appear to be polar opposites because silence implies not speaking while voice implies speaking up on important issues and problems in organizations. Challenging this simplistic notion, this paper presents a conceptual framework suggesting that employee silence and voice are best conceptualized as separate, multidimensional constructs. Based on employee motives, we differentiate three types of silence (Acquiescent Silence, Defensive Silence, and ProSocial Silence) and three parallel types of voice (Acquiescent Voice, Defensive Voice, and ProSocial Voice) where withholding important information is not simply the absence of voice. Building on this conceptual framework, we further propose that silence and voice have differential consequences to employees in work organizations. Based on fundamental differences in the overt behavioural cues provided by silence and voice, we present a series of propositions predicting that silence is more ambiguous than voice, observers are more likely to misattribute employee motives for silence than for voice, and misattributions for motives behind silence will lead to more incongruent consequences (both positive and negative) for employees (than for voice). We conclude by discussing implications for future research and for managers. [source] High-quality relationships, psychological safety, and learning from failures in work organizationsJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2009Abraham Carmeli How can organizations support employees to engage in learning from failures? In this paper, we draw on the concept of high-quality relationships to explore the relational underpinnings of learning from failures in organizations. We focus on relational coordination as a specific manifestation of high-quality relationships and examine how the relational dimensions of relational coordination,shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect,foster psychological safety and thus enable organizational members to engage in learning from failures. The results of two separate studies support our mediation model where psychological safety mediates the link between high-quality relationships and learning from failures in organizations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||