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Enhancement of human performance with developing ergonomic workplace environment and providing work-life balance

Enhancement of human performance with developing ergonomic workplace environment and providing work-life balance

Author(s): Henrietta Finna,Tamás Forgács / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2010

Keywords: Work efficiency; ergonomy; work environment; work-life balance; telework.

Ergonomy aims at creating a work place that suits the employee’s needs. A well-developed office does not only increase work efficiency but it can also significantly reduce costs. This study researches and reveals the specific personal attributes and the factors of workplace environment, which have an effect on the efficiency of the workforce. We were searching for studies, where the core work wasn’t changed -the increase in work efficiency was reached only by changing the work environment.

An in-module work practice strategy for vocationally oriented construction degree programmes: the case of the multidisciplinary project

An in-module work practice strategy for vocationally oriented construction degree programmes: the case of the multidisciplinary project

Author(s): Kaushal Keraminiyage / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2013

Keywords: Work based training; Vocationally oriented construction degree programmes; Group projects; Group assessments; Peer evaluations;

Students who are enrolled in vocationally oriented construction degree programmes can immensely benefit from work practice arrangements. Traditionally such work practice arrangements are organised as a “placement year” during or immediately after the degree programme. Further, these arrangements are often “work place based” practice arrangements requiring students to be based at the work place during the practice period. This system has some significant issues, especially when considering how and when the “learning” takes place. “Multi-disciplinary project” is a module designed to be a part of a vocationally oriented, combined construction undergraduate programme at the University of Salford, United Kingdom, aiming to overcome the issues of work place based work practice arrangements. As a part of this paper, pedagogical principles behind the module design are evaluated based on current literature, examining how previous research have informed the design of this module. Issues encountered during the delivery of the module are also discussed within this paper, based on the unstructured data collected while responding to student inquires and through observations. Nature of those issues are analysed by revisiting current literature, and possible solutions are discussed based on the findings of some of the previous research projects.

On Heidi Gottfried, Gender, work and economy: Unpacking the global economy (2012, Polity Press, pp.327)

On Heidi Gottfried, Gender, work and economy: Unpacking the global economy (2012, Polity Press, pp.327)

Author(s): Katalin Oborni / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2014

Gottfried, as the title indicates, challenges the central conceptions of economic sociology on work since she claims it is too narrow for use in understanding the more hidden consequences of the current economic crisis. Instead, the author clearly suggests using a feminist perspective. She argues that feminist theory and economic policy must go together if we want to understand that productive work does not occur accidentally somewhere in random time and space, out of the vacuum of economy. Similarly, a worker, let it be a woman or a man, is not a carefree person without the responsibilities of the private sphere. The image of the ideal (male) worker who only has a career and no private life still exists at workplaces. It is therefore necessary to use a broader and more gender-sensitive concept when analyzing the economy to see how the world of economy functions and how economic processes of labor activity work. In order to broaden and complete the definition of economy, the social reproduction that is typically performed by women in every corner of the globe has to be taken into account.

Social Work in Institutional Care for Older Adults: Transforming Medically Oriented Homes for the Older People into Community-oriented Care Centres

Social Work in Institutional Care for Older Adults: Transforming Medically Oriented Homes for the Older People into Community-oriented Care Centres

Author(s): Valentina Hlebec,Jana Mali / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2013

Keywords: the older people; older adults; social work; institutional care; community care

In recent years, demographical changes have posed a significant interest for social work. The primary aim of social work as a science and as a profession is to ensure the social participation of all people on all levels of society: micro, meso and macro. Social work is therefore connected not just with individuals and families, but also with communities and society as a whole. This paper presents how this characteristic of social work in homes for the older people infl uence on the transformation of Slovenian institutional care from primary residential care to centres of care for the older people. Th e signifi cant impact is in the diff erence of social work between socially and medically oriented homes. Th e diff erence lies in social work methods as well as in the roles of the social worker in different areas of work with the residents, relatives and staff . This approach enables the provision of holistic care for the older people in institutions and in the community. Slovenian homes for the older people with existing and planned forms of assistance in the community demonstrate that institutional care is not necessarily linked only to the classical care in an institution. The transformation of homes enables the development of new forms of care for older adults both inside and outside each home for the older people

Counterproductive Work Behaviours in an Organization and Their Measurement upon the Example of Research Conducted among Employees in the Public Administration Sector in Poland

Counterproductive Work Behaviours in an Organization and Their Measurement upon the Example of Research Conducted among Employees in the Public Administration Sector in Poland

Author(s): Dawid Szostek / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2017

Keywords: Counterproductive Work Behaviour (CWB); organizational behaviour; measurement of CWB

The article discusses primarily the issues of counterproductive work behaviour in the organization. The author focused on measurement of such behaviours using one of the most frequently used scale to measure these behaviours (Counterproductive Work Behaviour Checklist; CWB-C). The aim of the article was also to present preliminary results of a research conducted in 2016 using CWB-C among employees of local government units in Poland. The results show that the scale of involvement of employees is small and the behaviours are rather directed against the organization than the co-workers or supervisors. What is more, they are less serious rather than serious abuses.

Social Work and its Discontents Under Neoliberal Conditions: The Rhetorics and Realities of the Concept „Inclusion“

Social Work and its Discontents Under Neoliberal Conditions: The Rhetorics and Realities of the Concept „Inclusion“

Author(s): Ruth Seifert / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/2/2015

Keywords: social work; inclusion; European social policy; social exclusion; social inclusion; social differentiation;

A spectre is haunting European social policies and European social work – the spectre of „inclusion“. During recent years, the terms „exclusion“ and „inclusion“ have become central concepts in politics, the social sciences and last not least social work. Social exclusion has been declared to be one of the core problems of social work (cf. e.g. Sheppard 207, 5ff.). Despite a formidable career which the concept has made in politics and academia, turning up in each and every context and corner of the social work discourse, from the very beginning its lack of clarity and analytical lucidity has been critizised (cf. e.g. Anhorn 2008). Thus, the term exclusion – and the demand for inclusion - is used for completely different empirical phenomena such as long-term unemployment, migrants, homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals, ethnic groups and people with impairments or disabilities – groups and individuals that presumably are not exposed to the same mechanisms of exclusion and whose „exclusion“ takes very different forms.

TRAINING IN SOCIAL WORK – AN ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF STUDENTS WITHIN ”ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA” UNIVERSITY OF IAȘI

TRAINING IN SOCIAL WORK – AN ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF STUDENTS WITHIN ”ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA” UNIVERSITY OF IAȘI

Author(s): Mihaela Rădoi,Gabriela Irimescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

Keywords: students; professional training; education system; social work;

Emerged in late 19th century, social work has a particular specificity among current professions; it has evolved continuously to respond to the multiple challenges triggered by issues of the ever-changing society. Because it is a profession of many faces (Sheafor, Morales, Scott 2011) but also a socially constructed profession (Payne 2011), social work acquires distinct notes from one society to another, from a historical and from a geographical, social, economic, political and cultural standpoint. Social work was influenced by various social, political and theoretical circumstances, which determined a constant modification of functions and practices in general. Because it is a rather new profession evolving and changing at a fast pace, social work must respond to the multiple challenges concerning the quality of professional training and the quality of provided services, implicitly. This study represents an analysis of the social work school in Iași from the perspective of undergraduate and master students within the Faculty of Philosophy and Social-Political Sciences. The main directions of analysis were the following: access to the education establishments and previous experience/volunteer work, the training of competences in social work – the education process and the educational resources, the challenges of social worker profession, the access to the national and international labour market, the Erasmus experience and the migration of workforce.The study shows that it is necessary to adapt the curriculum to the new social issues, to get practitioners more involved in the education process, to allocate more time for practical/applied disciplines to the detriment of theoretical ones. The study also reveals the desire of young social work graduates to work in the system and to change whatever does not work (based on their experiences) for both them-selves and those around them.

Triin Roosalu and Dirk Hofäcker (eds.) (2016) Rethinking Gender, Work and Care in a New Europe: Theorizing Markets and Societies in the Post-Postsocialist Era. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. 383 pages.

Triin Roosalu and Dirk Hofäcker (eds.) (2016) Rethinking Gender, Work and Care in a New Europe: Theorizing Markets and Societies in the Post-Postsocialist Era. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. 383 pages.

Author(s): Zsófia Viktória Kiss,Yvette Lovas,Bence Pálóczi / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2016

The notice in case of dismissal for reasons not related to the person of the employee – Respecting the right to work and the principle of non-discrimination

The notice in case of dismissal for reasons not related to the person of the employee – Respecting the right to work and the principle of non-discrimination

Author(s): Alice Dobrinoiu / Language(s): English / Issue: VIII/2020

Keywords: Right to work; discrimination; liberty; restraint; paid time off; notice; dismissal;

The right to work, freedom to work, the right to dignity at work and the principle of non-discrimination are interdependent concepts and are enshrined in both interna¬tional and domestic law. The Labor Code of 1972 provided for the possibility for the employer to terminate the employment contract of an employee without notifying it in advance and without respecting the notice period, but the employee has the right to receive, upon termination of employment, an allowance equal to the remuneration related to the non-complied term. Although this possibility was no longer maintained in the new Labor Code of 2003, the provisions of collective bargaining agreements con-cluded at national level maintained the possibility for the employer to terminate the employment contract of an employee without notice, provided he pays an allowance equal to the basic salary for one month, as per the date of termination of the employ-ment contract. Currently, failure to give notice with a minimum duration of 20 working days, entails the absolute nullity of the dismissal measure and the dismissal decision. The employer has the possibility to grant paid time during the notice period, but in the situation where the decision targets only one or more of the notified employees, there may be premises for a situation of discrimination.

Psychological Safety and Work Engagement of Senior High School Teachers: Moderating Role of Psychological Flexibility

Psychological Safety and Work Engagement of Senior High School Teachers: Moderating Role of Psychological Flexibility

Author(s): Bakari Yusuf Dramanu / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2020

Keywords: Psychological flexibility of teachers; perception of psychological safety; teachers’ work engagement; moderating effect of psychological flexibility

There is a dearth of research that investigated how and the mechanism through which psychology safety perceptions and work engagement are related among employees in the education setting, especially in Africa. The present paper investigated how senior high school teachers’ perception of their psychological safety in their schools predicted their work engagement and the moderating role of psychological flexibility. The cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect data from a sample of 263 public senior high school teachers in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern region of Ghana. Adapted standardised questionnaires were used to collect the data. Regression analysis, including the PROCESS procedure for testing of moderating effect, was the main analytical tool employed to test the hypotheses. Both psychological flexibility and perception of psychological safety were significant positive predictors of senior high school teachers’ work engagement. Also, psychological flexibility significantly moderated the effect of psychological safety on work engagement. The study concluded that psychological safety is an important determinant of both the perception of psychological safety and work engagement. The paper therefore, recommends, among others, that management of educational institutions and other work settings provide interventions that would enhance psychological flexibility and the feeling of psychological safety among employees.

EXPLORING BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY LECTURERS’ WORK MOTIVATION, BASIC NEED SATISFACTION AND ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP

EXPLORING BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY LECTURERS’ WORK MOTIVATION, BASIC NEED SATISFACTION AND ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP

Author(s): Samson Onyeluka Chukwuedo,Jane Nwakaego Egbri / Language(s): English / Issue: 5/2020

Keywords: basic need satisfaction; work engagement; work motivation; vocational education lecturers;

The link between basic psychological needs satisfaction of employees and their engagement in other administrative organizations is relatively established. However, there is a paucity of research findings regarding this link in the educational organizations in general, and vocational education in particular. This research, therefore, determined the relations between work-related basic need satisfaction (WBNS), work engagement, and work motivation in aspects of vocational education. The participants were 299 business and technical education lecturers of the vocational education programme in Nigeria universities. The research utilized three scales, which were embedded in a questionnaire for data collection. The face and construct validity of the scales were established. Data analyses were performed with correlation, and regression of paths by applying 2000 re-samples bias-corrected (BC) bootstrapping method. The result revealed a significant positive WBNS-motivation, WBNS-engagement, and motivation-engagement relations. However, work motivation could not mediate the link in the research model.

An Overview of Self and Identity Transformation in Work Life: Reflections of Pre-Modern, Modern and Postmodern Processes

An Overview of Self and Identity Transformation in Work Life: Reflections of Pre-Modern, Modern and Postmodern Processes

Author(s): Savaş Kande,Aslı ÇİLLİOĞLU KARADEMİR / Language(s): English / Issue: 12/2020

Keywords: Working Life; Identity; Self; Modernism; Postmodernism;

In the historical process, it is seen that the changes experienced by societies have transformed the self and identity. Working life has been an area where this transformation has taken place and is generally studied in the pre and post industrial revolution periods. In this study, the periods will be discussed as pre-modern, modern and post-modern. The reflections of these three periods on employees' identity and self-concept will be investigated. The existence of the individual with a collective identity in the pre-modern period, the existence of knowing and the known self distinction in the process of modernism, and the emergence of fluid identities and self with postmodernism will be examined.

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL VALENCIES OF THE SANCTION OF LEGAL NULLITY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ACT OF ESTABLISHING THE TERMINATION OF WORK RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PUBLIC SERVANT

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL VALENCIES OF THE SANCTION OF LEGAL NULLITY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ACT OF ESTABLISHING THE TERMINATION OF WORK RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PUBLIC SERVANT

Author(s): Carmen Constantina Nenu / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: sanction; legal nullity; administrative act;

The stability of the work legal relationship and the lawfulness that should govern any administrative act, are elements that, depending on their damage, entail the dispossession of legal effects of the act deciding or establishing the termination of the work relationship of the public servant. Consequently, an analysis of the provisions of the Administrative Code on the institution of the legal nullity of the administrative act of termination of work relationships is meant to point out the significant importance of complying with the substantive and formal issues of the administrative act with individual character by which the legal work relationships of the public servant cease.

The Refusal to Carry Out Unpaid Work for the Benefit of the Community by the Defendant – From Right to ”Procedural Trap”

The Refusal to Carry Out Unpaid Work for the Benefit of the Community by the Defendant – From Right to ”Procedural Trap”

Author(s): Matei-Ciprian Graur / Language(s): English / Issue: 02/2020

Keywords: Art 4 ECHR; prohibition of forced labor; accused; right not to work; conditional freedom; suspension under supervision; postponement of penalty enforcement;

This approach starts from the regulation contained in Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which regulates as a fundamental right the prohibition of slavery and forced labour. The purpose of this right – the right not to work forcibly – is obvious, but the way in which Member States protect this right through domestic regulations can be different and can create controversy. In our analysis we want to stop in criminal and criminal proceedings, being certain that other matters of law may face regulatory problems, but also considering that the scope of criminal law in general presents a series of hypotheses with special consequences, including, as we shall see, in the freedom of the individual. Far from wanting to find a clear solution to the problems that we will expose, we want to ask some questions regarding the internal protection offered in criminal law and criminal proceedings in relation to Article 4 of the Convention. Does the legislator manage to be predictable? Is the right to refuse unpaid community service a “trial trap”? These are just two of a few natural questions raised as a result of the careful passage of the texts of law, but also from the analysis of case law in the matter.

Expectations, challenges and achievements of primary school teachers during their first year of work, in Kosovo

Expectations, challenges and achievements of primary school teachers during their first year of work, in Kosovo

Author(s): Fatjona Alidemaj / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Keywords: Teacher; first year; expectations; challenges; achievements;

The first year of work in the teaching profession is characterized by many dynamics, which can be best understood by the voices of the teachers themselves who have passed the first year of work. This qualitative research conducted through semi-structured interviews with 10 primary school teachers, from different places of Kosovo, reflects the expectations, challenges and achievements that they have experienced throughout their first year of work. The findings show that the teachers have had expectations to be supported, to be given help and cooperation from their colleagues, school board and from the parents and students. They have expected from their students to be polite, committed to lessons and disciplined. There is a difference between the expectations and the reality that these teachers have faced. Teachers have experienced many challenges during the period of the first year of work, difficulties in building relationships of cooperation and understanding with the school leadership, parents of students, classroom and student management but also achievements in relation to these.

FLEXIBLE WORKING TIME FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN AND THE CHALLENGES OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN ROMANIA

FLEXIBLE WORKING TIME FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN AND THE CHALLENGES OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN ROMANIA

Author(s): Wallasek Magdolna / Language(s): English / Issue: 57/2022

Keywords: work-life balance; working time; employee; women; flexibility;

During the last one or two decades, flexibility has clearly been the buzzword of labour law, with the objective to ensure that labour law regulations leave their traditional boundaries marked by very strict, imperative norms, thus better responding to the needs of the 21st century. Obviously, the basic assumption has been that a more flexible working relationship is useful and necessary both for employers and employees and they all play a more important role in the elaboration of the labour contract. From the point of view of flexibility, working time and the work-rest ratio respectively are of key importance. Therefore, the narrative according to which flexible working hours are ideal especially for women raising (small) children is not alien to us. In our short study we will analyse the instruments by which Romanian labour law regulations facilitate the balancing of working and rest time for women employees, especially for women employees raising small children. For this purpose, we will summarize the regulation of working time in force, certain problems raised by home office or teleworking, as well as the special labour law instruments that may play a role in achieving work-life balance. Finally, within the context of transposing Directive (EU) 2019/1158 on work-life balance into national legislation, we will also sketch some preliminary ideas regarding the changes that are expected in this respect in the near future.

The future of remote work in Japan: Covid-19’s implications for international human resource management

The future of remote work in Japan: Covid-19’s implications for international human resource management

Author(s): Hitoshi Iwashita / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2021

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; remote work; Japanese firms; managerial work; HRM practice;

Objective: The objective of this article is to elaborate how the form of remote work can be hindered in an institutional cultural context in non-Western countries. Research Design & Methods: The article adopts data collection based on public report and news release in reference to the current academic literature of human resource management. Findings: The article finds that the institutional contexts of non-Western countries, unlike those of Western countries, may hinder or limit remote work because of a poor fit between remote work and human resource management (HRM). The article reveals that the cultural context of non-Western countries, such as Japan, may hinder remote work because of collectivism, high context, high power distance, and high uncertainty avoidance. Implications & Recommendations: The article implicates a possible diversity of how remote work can be implemented in relation to the institutional and cultural contexts of both Western and non-Western countries, such as Japan. Contribution & Value Added: The article contributes to future international human resource management by showing that there are some institutional and cultural hindrances to remote work in certain countries. The text contributes to future international business and human resource management by showing that other non-Western countries may have similar problems in terms of the execution of remote work due to contexts that are different institutional and cultural from Western examples.

Training Perception and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Organisational-Based Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy

Training Perception and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Organisational-Based Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy

Author(s): Tran Huy Phuong,Quynh Dinh Thi Ngoc / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2022

Keywords: work engagement; training benefit; transfer of training; organisational based self-esteem; self-efficacy

This article aims to investigate the impact of training perception on work engagement. In addition, self-efficacy and organisational based self-esteem are hypothesised as mediators of the above relationship. Data were collected from employees in Vietnam using a self-administered questionnaire survey. Path analyses with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used to verify the proposed relationships. The results show that both perceived training benefits and transfer of training significantly and positively influence work engagement. In addition, organisational based self-esteem partially mediates the impact of perceived training benefit on work engagement. Self-efficacy mediates a portion of the effects of the transfer of training on work engagement. The results add to the existing literature on the determinants of work engagement and on the consequences of the transfer of training. The findings also provide insight into the conditions for effective training in organisations.Implications for Central European audience: Developing an engaged workforce is a vital task to all organisations. However, data showed that the work engagement level in Europe is low, especially in Central Europe. The results of the study provide insight into the determinants of employee engagement at work. In addition, like Vietnam, most countries in Central Europe have been in transition from former central-command systems to market economies. The application of contemporary Western human resource practices needs special consideration to ensure its effectiveness. The current study may supply some empirical implications for both academics and practitioners.

How Job Crafting Transmits the Impact of Perceived Organizational Support and Autonomy on Work Engagement

How Job Crafting Transmits the Impact of Perceived Organizational Support and Autonomy on Work Engagement

Author(s): Kim Phong Thai,Anh Tho To,Thi Siem Tran,Van Trung Hoang,Thi Thu Hong Ho / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2023

Keywords: organizational support; autonomy; job crafting; work engagement

In organizational practices, job crafting has emerged as a crucial professional activity that can create significantly improved workplace outcomes. This research aims to investigate how job crafting transmits the influence of organizational support and autonomy on work engagement. The empirical study was conducted by applying PLS-SEM to a sample of 255 service employees in Vietnamese retail companies. Especially in the context of emerging markets, there hasn't been much study on how service employees' job crafting improves their job engagement. The findings show that organizational support and autonomy are favorably associated with three dimensions of job crafting. Furthermore, job crafting promotes work engagement. Our findings imply that managers’ open interactions and empowerment may generate positive job crafting, hence increasing employee engagement with work and organizations.

Factors Affecting Millennials’ Job Turnover Intention during the Implementation of Work from Home (WFH)

Factors Affecting Millennials’ Job Turnover Intention during the Implementation of Work from Home (WFH)

Author(s): Wirmandi Pamungkas,Nadia Tiara Budiono,Rudy Haryanto,Willy Gunadi / Language(s): English / Issue: 80/2023

Keywords: work from home; work stress; work motivation; work-life balance; turnover intentions; millennials;

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many institutions, regardless of whether they are ready or not, to adapt work from home (WFH) practices. This study aims to evaluate how work stress, workload, work-life balance, and work motivation affect millennials’ intention to leave their jobs during work from home implementation. There were 224 millennial respondents in the Greater Jakarta Area who experienced WFH set-ups because of the COVID-19 outbreak that filled out the questionnaires. The PLS-based SEM technique was then used to examine the data that had been obtained. The results showed a significant effect from working from home on workload, work stress, work-life balance, and motivation. Additionally, it found that workload and work stress have significant effects on the turnover intention. Work-life balance and work motivation, according to the results, have no significant effects on turnover intention. As a result, management should consider the workload and work stress while evaluating the effectiveness of the use of the type of assignment. More factors that influence turnover intentions need to be considered in future studies.