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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 June 2024

Roman Soucek, Amanda S. Voss, Hans Drexler and Klaus Moser

Digitalization and flexibility of workplaces as aspects of new ways of working are associated both positively and negatively with employees’ well-being. However, the mechanisms…

Abstract

Purpose

Digitalization and flexibility of workplaces as aspects of new ways of working are associated both positively and negatively with employees’ well-being. However, the mechanisms behind this relationship are not clear yet. We present work intensity as a link between new ways of working and psychological well-being. Furthermore, we address two job resources to alter this association: autonomy and boundary control.

Design/methodology/approach

Overall, 1,099 employees of a public administration organization participated in the survey and answered a web-based questionnaire. The organization was in the transition to new ways of working including the introduction of a digital filing system and remote work.

Findings

The results of regression analyses provided evidence that flexibility and dissolution of boundaries were positively related to work intensity, which in turn was associated with emotional exhaustion and work engagement. Thus, new ways of working were negatively associated with psychological well-being, mediated by work intensity. Further analyses revealed that the job resources of autonomy and boundary control moderated the relationship between flexibility respectively dissolution of boundaries with work intensity. Thus, these job resources acted as buffering factors and mitigated the association of new ways of working with work intensity.

Originality/value

The results indicated that work intensity could be perceived as a conceptual bridge between new ways of working and psychological well-being providing a promising target variable for the deployment of job resources to preserve employees’ well-being.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 July 2024

María Cervini-Plá and José I. Silva

This study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the gender gap effects of childcare restrictions. Specifically, not using professional childcare services due to…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the gender gap effects of childcare restrictions. Specifically, not using professional childcare services due to issues like access, quality or costs. Additionally, we explore the long-run consequences of extended work interruptions for childcare.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a specialized cross-sectional module from the 2018 Spanish Labor Force Survey, we estimated a set of linear regression models to capture the short and long run effects of childcare restrictions in labor market outcomes.

Findings

We identify substantial gender gaps in labor force, employment, full-time employment and hours worked among parents facing childcare constraints. In contrast, parents without such restrictions experience much lower gender gaps. The long-run analysis reveals that mainly career breaks lasting 2 years or more significantly diminish the labor supply and employment rates of mothers.

Originality/value

Our study goes beyond examining the effects of childcare restrictions on mothers’ labor market behavior and explicitly studies the gender disparities related to these restrictions. Moreover, our database includes information on work flexibility for childcare, allowing us to explore whether such flexibility can help mitigate these gender gaps. Additionally, we assess the long-term effects of work interruptions due to childcare responsibilities on women’s labor outcomes.

Details

Applied Economic Analysis, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2632-7627

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 September 2024

Stephanie Bilderback and Matthew D. Kilpatrick

This paper aims to explore the impact of remote work on organizational culture, focusing on redefining workplace presence during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines changes in…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of remote work on organizational culture, focusing on redefining workplace presence during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines changes in communication patterns, employee engagement and leadership practices, offering insights into how organizations can adapt their cultural frameworks for a remote or hybrid workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a conceptual approach, this paper draws on existing literature, theories and case studies to analyze the implications of remote work for organizational culture. It examines the practical applications of theoretical frameworks such as Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, the Competing Values Framework, Social Exchange Theory, Role Theory, Self-Determination Theory and Equity Theory.

Findings

The findings indicate that the transition to remote work necessitates changes in communication patterns, collaboration, employee engagement and the sense of belonging. It also highlights the critical role of leadership in fostering a positive remote work culture, requiring organizations to adapt to a paradigm where presence is measured by engagement and productivity rather than physical visibility.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to understanding the impact of remote work on organizational culture by integrating various theoretical frameworks and providing practical implications for managing remote work environments. It comprehensively analyzes the challenges and opportunities the shift to remote work presents and provides recommendations for organizations to navigate this transition successfully.

Details

Journal of Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2633-7436

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 September 2024

Melanie M. Lazarus and Joseph P. Nalepka

The results of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered the traditional work environment model obsolete for the United States Air Force, resulting in the need to create a new hybrid work…

Abstract

Purpose

The results of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered the traditional work environment model obsolete for the United States Air Force, resulting in the need to create a new hybrid work model that fits unique employee needs in a complex organization. This practitioner article discusses how the 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW) built the Mission-Focused Agile Work Environment (MFAWE) using a combination of human and mission-focused strategies to ensure a more flexible work environment without compromising excellence or its employees' well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an action research approach, data was collected by 77 diverse stakeholders in six working groups. Five perspectives were examined – employee, operations, infrastructure, leadership and mission – using a combination of literature and policy reviews, interviews, surveys and personal experiences to deliver recommendations to leadership for implementation.

Findings

The MFAWE addressed hybrid work transition requirements, including employee guidance, permanent workspace guidelines and facilities. Lessons learned from implementation included the need for a change management and communication strategy. An employee playbook was found to be an effective modality for information sharing but not for policy enforcement. Employee preference for permanent space regardless of time on site due to sanitation and mental health concerns was also discovered.

Originality/value

This article showcases how a large, complex organization built a new hybrid work model using employee-inclusive practices, filling a gap in the literature. This project also uncovered complex interdependencies when transitioning to a hybrid work model, including employee preferences.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 September 2024

Soila Lemmetty and Elina Riivari

Meaningfulness at work means experience of work as important, satisfying and valuable. It is a key factor in promoting individual growth, strengthening the belief in one's own…

Abstract

Purpose

Meaningfulness at work means experience of work as important, satisfying and valuable. It is a key factor in promoting individual growth, strengthening the belief in one's own abilities and supporting a sense of belonging and commitment to the organization. In this paper, we explore managers' perceptions of meaningful work in the future, focusing on managers' talk about meaningful work and its promotion in their organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the study consists of 25 stories of future working life collected from Finnish managers in spring 2022, using the empathy-based method.

Findings

From managers' stories of future working life, we identified two overarching perception categories of meaningful work: (1) Perceptions of contexts underlining the experience of meaningfulness: evolving technologies, developing expertise and demands and change in working life values and (2) Perceptions of management practices determining meaningful work: leader-centered, distant and technical management practice versus participatory and interactive management practice.

Originality/value

The research produces a new and detailed understanding of the ways in which managers talk about decreasing and increasing meaningfulness at work and management practices related to it. As the research is qualitative in nature and based on a small dataset, its results cannot be generalized. Instead, it strengthens and sharpens the previous understanding of meaningful work and the future of work.

Details

Journal of Advances in Management Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-7981

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 June 2023

Abdelaziz Hakimi, Rim Boussaada and Majdi Karmani

This paper aims to investigate the reciprocal nonlinear relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance (FP).

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the reciprocal nonlinear relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance (FP).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a sample of 814 European firms over the period 2008–2017. The Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) model was performed as an econometric approach.

Findings

Firstly, results show a threshold effect in the CSR–FP relationships within the two directions. More specifically, the authors found that firms are more likely to engage in CSR by surpassing a threshold of 1.231% for return on assets (ROA) and 0.821% for Tobin’s Q ratio. Secondly, the authors also found that the impact of CSR on FP is positive and significant only if the environment, social and governance score surpasses the threshold of 56.780% when the dependent variable is ROA and 41.02% when Tobin’s Q ratio measures performance.

Research limitations/implications

A significant part of the literature supports the linear relationship between CSR and FP from the unique direction (CSR → FP). This study comes to fill this gap by assessing the possible nonlinear relationship. In addition, this nonlinear relationship is tested under the two directions. Therefore, defining the threshold of FP that allows companies to engage in CSR, on the one hand, and the threshold of engagement in CSR that improves FP, on the other hand, could be an exciting topic.

Practical implications

To get the full benefit from CSR effects, firms should be with better financial performance to be socially responsible.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, few studies have explored the nonlinear relationship between CSR and FP. In addition, this study raises the question of whether this relation is causal. The authors assess the two nonlinear relationships between CSR ? FP and FP ? CSR by determining the optimal thresholds.

研究目的

本文旨在探究企業社會責任 (以下簡稱企社責) 與公司業績之間的相互非線 性關係。

研究設計

研究所採用的樣本為814間歐洲公司, 涵蓋期為2008年至2017年。研究人 員使用縱橫平滑轉換模型、作為經濟計量方法和工具去進行研究。

研究結果

研究結果顯示、在有關的兩個方向內, 企社責與公司業績之間的關聯上是 存在著閾值效應的。更具體地說, 研究人員發現, 若企業的資產報酬率超過1.231%的 水平, 以及托賓的Q比率 (Tobin’s Q Ratio) 0.821%的水平的話, 它們會更願意承擔企 社責。其次, 研究結果亦顯示, 企社責對企業的業績會產生積極的影響; 另外, 只有 當資產報酬率是因變數、而環境、社會和公司治理的分數 (ESGS) 超過56.780%, 以 及當托賓的Q比率用來測量績效、而數值為41.02%時, 企社責對企業的業績所產生的 影響會較為顯著。

研究的啟示

過去的學術文獻、大部份都是以唯一的方向 (企社責 ->公司業績) 去確認 企社責與企業業績之間的線性關係。本研究評估了兩者之間可能存在的非線性關係; 而且, 這非線性關係是在有關的兩個方向下而進行測試的; 因此, 本研究一方面給可 讓公司以企社責的精神和理念去營運的企業業績的閾值下了定義; 另一方面, 又給參 與企社責為公司帶來業績的改善的閾值下了定義。這均為令人興奮的課題。

實務方面的啟示

企業若想取得因參與企社責而帶來的完全好處, 它們必須擁有更佳 的財務績效、以能盡其社會責任。

研究的原創性

盡我們所知, 探究企社責與企業業績之間的非線性關係的研究實在不 多; 而且, 本研究對這兩者的關係是否是因果關係提出了質疑; 就此, 我們藉著釐定 最佳的相對閾值、來評估企社責 ->企業業績與企業業績 ->企社責之間的兩個非線性的 關係。

Details

European Journal of Management and Business Economics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-8451

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 March 2024

Erik Johansson, Erik Rådman, Hendry Raharjo and Petra Bosch-Sijtsema

This paper aims to identify and prioritize the needs of coworking members. The authors focus on maintaining the existing members rather than attracting new ones.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify and prioritize the needs of coworking members. The authors focus on maintaining the existing members rather than attracting new ones.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use two phases and multiple methods. The first phase focuses on a qualitative approach using observations and interviews to uncover and formulate the members’ needs. The second phase focuses on prioritizing the needs using a quantitative approach.

Findings

The authors discovered 19 member needs from the coworking spaces. Based on an online survey, the authors classified those needs into three main Kano model’s categories.

Originality/value

The resulting member needs and their strategic priorities provide a useful basis for coworking providers to direct their improvement efforts towards achieving greater member satisfaction.

Details

Journal of Corporate Real Estate , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-001X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 June 2024

Iveta Mietule, Vera Komarova, Jelena Lonska, Lienite Litavniece, Iluta Arbidane and Linda Matisane

This study aims to identify factors influencing attitudes towards remote work, categorise employed Latvians into proponents and opponents of remote work and analyse these groups…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify factors influencing attitudes towards remote work, categorise employed Latvians into proponents and opponents of remote work and analyse these groups in the work-family-community-self integration.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts the job demands-resources theory. Empirical research is based on a survey of employed Latvians (Feb–Mar 2021, n = 1,052, n = 853,200). The focus is on employed Latvians with remote work experience, constituting 534 individuals (50.7% of the sample). The sample aligns with the demographic profile of employed Latvians, with data weighted by age and sex (across 12 age–sex combinations) from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Research hypotheses include identification of “discriminatory” factors influencing the attitudes towards remote work, distinguishing between proponents and opponents; examination of distinct job demands and resources related to the work-family-community-self integration within the groups of proponents and opponents of remote work.

Findings

Survey results indicate that 11.2% respondents worked remotely before the COVID-19 pandemic, typically without formalisation. Among those with remote work experience, 40% support it, whereas 60% oppose it. Rather than social and demographics or employer support, work-related values play the most significant role in shaping attitudes. Proponents generally acquire more job resources than demands through remote work, fostering the work-family-community-self integration; conversely, opponents experience the opposite trend.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical insights into the attitudes of employed Latvians towards remote work in the work-family-community-self integration, using the job demands-resources model. Notably, it innovatively evaluates the institutionalisation of remote work.

Details

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6204

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 8 May 2023

Arosha Adikaram and Ruwaiha Razik

This paper aims to explore the motivations behind women in a developing South Asian country – Sri Lanka – to embark on entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the motivations behind women in a developing South Asian country – Sri Lanka – to embark on entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, which is a doubly masculine hegemony operating within a culturally nuanced gendered context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a qualitative research approach, conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 STEM women entrepreneurs, following the theoretical lenses of push and pull motivation theory and gender role theory.

Findings

Although the motivations of STEM women entrepreneurs cannot be exclusively categorized as either push or pull factors, the pull factors had a greater influence on the participants in motivating them to become entrepreneurs. The primary motivators for starting businesses in STEM were: inspiration from something or someone, inner calling, the identification of business opportunities, the need for flexibility, necessity and/or desire to help society. It was often difficult to identify one dominant motivator in many instances, as many factors were interlinked to motivate women to start a business. The study also revealed that gender ideologies could stifle the participants' motivation, while the inner need to break these gender ideologies implicitly stimulated their motivation.

Originality/value

The study contributes to and expands the knowledge of STEM women entrepreneurs in general and to the limited existing knowledge of STEM women entrepreneurs in developing countries specifically. The paper brings contextual novelty as Sri Lanka produces more female STEM graduates than men, which is unique compared to most other parts of the world.

Details

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-1374

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 April 2024

Marianne Thejls Ziegler and Christoph Lütge

This study aims to analyse the differences between professional interaction mediated by video conferencing and direct professional interaction. The research identifies diverging…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the differences between professional interaction mediated by video conferencing and direct professional interaction. The research identifies diverging interests of office workers for the purpose of addressing work ethical and business ethical issues of professional collaboration, competition, and power in future hybrid work models.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 28 qualitative interviews conducted between November 2020 and June 2021, and through the theoretical lens of phenomenology, the study develops explanatory hypotheses conceptualising four basic intentions of professional interaction and their corresponding preferences for video conferences and working on site.

Findings

The four intentions developed on the basis of the interviews are: the need for physical proximity; the challenge of collective creativity; the will to influence; and control of communication. This conceptual framework qualifies a moral ambivalence of professional interaction. The authors identify a connectivity paradox of professional interaction where the personal dimension remains unarticulated for the purpose of maintaining professionality. This tacit human connectivity is intertwined with latent power relations. This plasticity of both connectivity and power in direct interaction can be diminished by transferring the interaction to video conferencing.

Originality/value

The application of phenomenology to a collection of qualitative interviews has enabled the identification of underlying intention structures and the system in which they affect each other. This research identifies conflicts of interests between workers relative to their different self-perceived abilities to persevere in competitive professional interaction. It is therefore able to address consequences of future hybrid work models at an existential and societal level.

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