Search results
1 – 10 of over 29000Joseph A. Bellizzi and Ronald W. Hasty
An experiment was carried out to evaluate whether or not relevant and successful work experience would mitigate employment discrimination in cases involving women and overweight…
Abstract
An experiment was carried out to evaluate whether or not relevant and successful work experience would mitigate employment discrimination in cases involving women and overweight industrial salespeople. The study was conducted in a salesforce setting and used practicing sales managers as subjects. The results indicate that for obese salespeople, positive work experience improved their fit for a job assignment only when the job was less challenging. In the case of a more challenging assignment, successful experience did not seem to help; non‐obese salespeople, with and without successful experience, were both considered more fit than obese salespeople with successful experience. Men and women were found to be equally fit for both more and less challenging assignments.
Details
Keywords
Liisa Mäkelä, Vesa Suutari and Helene Mayerhofer
The purpose of this paper is to analyze female expatriates' work‐life conflicts and enrichments which take place during the international assignment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze female expatriates' work‐life conflicts and enrichments which take place during the international assignment.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 20 interviews were carried out with female expatriates. The interview data were content analyzed.
Findings
The findings indicate that females have experiences of conflicts but also enrichment during international assignments. Both aspects – the effect of the personal life on the working life and vice versa – are shown to be important for females. Life and career stages appear to be integral to these experiences. This study utilizes four metaphors – airport, seesaw, stage, and harbor – as main headings to represent female expatriates' experiences in balancing work and their personal lives.
Originality/value
This study expands our understanding of the experiences of female expatriates from the work‐life balance perspective and contributes by analyzing both the work‐life conflicts as well as the enrichment which takes place, broadening the view of private life to include aspects other than the family.
Details
Keywords
Irene E. De Pater, Annelies E.M. Van Vianen, Agneta H. Fischer and Wendy P. Van Ginkel
The purpose of this paper is to examine: gender differences in the choice to perform challenging tasks, gender differences in the actual performance of challenging tasks, and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine: gender differences in the choice to perform challenging tasks, gender differences in the actual performance of challenging tasks, and the impact of challenging experiences on supervisors' evaluations of individuals' potential for career advancement.
Design/methodology/approach
In study 1, a sample of 158 students participated in a laboratory study that examined gender differences in choosing to perform challenging tasks in a situation that stressed individual performance. In study 2, a sample of 93 interns completed questionnaires in which the authors measured their challenging job experiences. Interns' supervisors evaluated interns' potential for career advancement.
Findings
In an achievement situation, women chose to perform fewer challenging tasks than men (study 1). During their internships, females had fewer challenging job experiences than males (study 2). Having challenging experiences was positively related to supervisors' evaluations of interns' potential for career advancement (study 2).
Research limitations/implications
The use of student samples may be considered a limitation of these studies. However, the nature of the research questions justifies an initial examination among students. Moreover, small gender differences in experiences at the start of individuals' careers may ultimately lead to increasing discrepancies between men's and women's careers.
Originality/value
The study is the first to examine individuals' own impact on the extent to which they experience job challenge. Moreover, it is the first that empirically examines the relationship between job challenge and evaluations of career potential.
Details
Keywords
Jennica R. Webster and Gary A. Adams
The goal of this study was to help explain the underrepresentation of lesbian women and gay men (LG) in senior leadership positions by examining bias in the allocation of…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this study was to help explain the underrepresentation of lesbian women and gay men (LG) in senior leadership positions by examining bias in the allocation of developmental opportunities (sponsorship/coaching and challenging work assignments). It further sought to test stigma-by-association as one reason for the biased allocation of developmental opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
An online experimental vignette study (N = 273) using a 2 (target gender: male vs female) by 2 (sexual orientation: LG vs heterosexual) design was conducted.
Findings
LG workers were less likely to be allocated developmental opportunities than heterosexual workers overall and relative to their same-sex heterosexual counterparts. Further, lesbian women were least likely to be allocated developmental opportunities. These effects also operated indirectly via participants concerns about stigma-by-association.
Originality/value
Sexual orientation and gender identity minority workers remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions and oftentimes despite having better objective qualifications. Research has begun examining bias in leader selection. This study, however, directs attention to the biased allocation of developmental opportunities which make one competitive for senior leadership positions and occur prior to leader selection. In doing so, the authors provide a baseline understanding of an important reason why LG might be underrepresented in leadership positions.
Details
Keywords
Stephen A. Woods, Nick Diprose, Mary Murphy-Diprose and Geoff Thomas
This paper reviews literature on interim leadership and management through the lens of effective interim performance. The purpose of this review is to advance understanding of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reviews literature on interim leadership and management through the lens of effective interim performance. The purpose of this review is to advance understanding of interim assignment performance and the antecedent individual psychological characteristics of effective interim leaders and managers, to improve the practice of managing interim leaders from a human resources (HR) perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports a targeted review of the literature on interim leadership and management.
Findings
The main proposition from this review is that the influence of individual factors on interim performance operates within the stages and contexts of assignments. Accordingly, the authors propose a framework of the demands on interim assignments (the interim assignment cycle), comprising stages of preparation, entry, delivery and exit. The paper subsequently reviews evidence of the potential individual characteristics (focussing on individual differences in personality, leadership approach, motivation and competencies) of effective preparation and entry to an assignment, actions and performance during an assignment and exit/disengagement.
Practical implications
The findings of the review have implications for the selection and placement of interims into organizations and their management once appointed.
Originality/value
The main original contribution of the paper is to provide a framework around which interim assignments can be modelled and better understood. The paper discusses implications for future research, theory and human resource management practice and calls for a renewed research effort in this critical area of management and leadership.
Details
Keywords
Liisa Mäkelä, Marja Känsälä and Vesa Suutari
The purpose of this paper is to identify how dual career expatriates view their spouses' roles during international assignments.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify how dual career expatriates view their spouses' roles during international assignments.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 39 interviews were carried out with expatriates who had a working spouse. The interview data were content analysed using replication logic.
Findings
The authors' findings indicate that the importance of spousal support increases among dual career couples during international assignments. Expatriates report their spouses as having supporting, flexible, determining, instrumental, restricting and equal partner spousal roles.
Originality/value
This study provides in‐depth understanding about multiple spousal roles during international assignments among dual career couples and contributes to the previous literature by showing how spousal roles appear in the international context, and by identifying two new spousal roles.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to examine the personal antecedents to taking on the challenge of learning, particularly when there is competition for time at work. Taking on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the personal antecedents to taking on the challenge of learning, particularly when there is competition for time at work. Taking on challenging tasks, particularly those that enhance learning, is a critical behavior in today’s dynamic business environments. This paper explores how individual differences motivate people to choose a challenging task over an easy one.
Design/methodology/approach
A behavioral measure was used to determine if working adults higher in learning goal orientation, curiosity, and need for cognition were more likely to take on a challenging task, even when there was competition for their time. Structural equation modeling was used to more deeply examine whether these constructs independently contribute to the outcome.
Findings
Goal orientation, curiosity and need for cognition each significantly predicted whether working adults took on a challenging task. Additional analysis revealed that learning goal orientation, curiosity, and need for cognition loaded onto a single factor.
Research limitations/implications
This paper answers calls for the use of direct measurement in social science research. Rather than asking individuals about what they have done or would do, the study observes what choices working adults actually make when confronted with the opportunity to learn.
Originality/value
Contributing to the recent surge of work on informal learning behaviors, this paper examines a critical learning behavior – that of taking on challenging tasks. It demonstrates that even if individuals are ready learn (have the time and resources), there are key individual differences that drive whether they are willing to do so.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to conceptually define and empirically investigate the density of work experience along with individual characteristics (cognitive ability…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conceptually define and empirically investigate the density of work experience along with individual characteristics (cognitive ability, conscientiousness and openness to experience) and examine their influence on human resource (HR) competencies.
Design/methodology/approach
Regression analysis was used to analyze the data. In total, 140 HR professionals from service industry background and their supervisors participated in the data collection efforts.
Findings
Data analyses revealed three key findings. Employees’ density of work experience positively relates to HR competencies. Cognitive ability is the strongest predictor of the positive relationship to HR competencies, and density of work experience.
Research limitations/implications
The author did not assess learning from each role (individual contributor, team lead and manager). Another limitation stems from the measure of density of work experience. The author did not consider the feedback that each incumbent might have received while dealing with challenging activities and the course corrections that may have been made.
Practical implications
Using an approach of gradually increasing the level of responsibility and involvement in challenging tasks may also help incumbents develop who may not be intellectually gifted. In the process of gradually increasing the level of involvement in challenging tasks, incumbents could develop a nuanced view of the field expertise required to deal with challenges, gain an in-depth understanding of the business, and acquire change management skills.
Originality/value
The author attempts to know which aspects of personality influence density of work experience the most. In addition, which personality characteristic predicts HR competencies more strongly?
Details
Keywords
The increasing need for student engagement and the wide availability of digital teaching resources are providing opportunities for careful consideration and planning of assignments…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing need for student engagement and the wide availability of digital teaching resources are providing opportunities for careful consideration and planning of assignments within and among business management courses. This paper aims to examine implementation strategies for integrating multiple business simulations with gradually increased assignment weighting and coordinated implementation in a university business curriculum.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study research design with a pattern-matching logic is used to represent a critical test of formulated programmatic and learning theories that have a set of propositions and circumstances with which the proposals are believed to be true. Applied digital management education tools used in a graduated weighting scheme compare an empirically-based pattern with a predicted pattern.
Findings
Systemic program-wide implementation of teaching resources such as simulations, microsimulations and application-based activity role-playing assignments can deliver engaging internal course and coordinated management program experiential-type learning. Carefully planning graduated assignment weights can be a practical strategy for using a low-risk approach to enhance experiential learning.
Practical implications
The strategies proposed provide a practical approach for controlling the learning pace and facilitating low-risk experiential learning through the modern digital business education landscape.
Originality/value
This paper investigates innovative implementation ideas to strategically arrange simulation assignments that can enhance success and prepare students future management work-based training. It explores the value of incorporating different types of business simulations and advanced active learning activities to provide students with engaging experiential learning experiences.
Details
Keywords
Reimara Valk and Sandra Hannon
The purpose of this paper is to explore engagement of flexpatriates on rotational and regular field assignments in the energy industry, theoretically grounded in the “Four…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore engagement of flexpatriates on rotational and regular field assignments in the energy industry, theoretically grounded in the “Four Fundamental Pillars of Engagement”.
Design/methodology/approach
In an exploratory case study within a global organisation in the energy industry, in a post-merger/acquisition integration stage, the authors interviewed 24 rotational and regular field assignees of seven different nationalities, residing at nine different global locations.
Findings
The results of the case study show that the following newly identified drivers within the “Four Fundamental Pillars of Engagement” are crucial for engagement of flexpatriate rotational and regular field assignees in the energy industry: information, communication and technology; training, learning and growth; support from colleagues and line managers (“capacity to engage”); job ownership/control; respect, recognition and appreciation (“reason to engage”); freedom to be creative and innovative; pride and promises; client satisfaction (“freedom to engage”); alignment between the organisation and the individual (“alignment to engage”), especially in a post-merger and acquisition (M&A) organisational context during a downturn in the oil and gas industry.
Research limitations/implications
The case study focused on rotational assignees from one particular organisation in the energy industry, which restricts the generalisability of the findings on engagement of rotational assignees to other organisations, industries and geographies.
Practical implications
Organisations in the energy industry that actively promote engagement of rotational assignees, especially during the post-M&A integration stage and economic turmoil, will strengthen their sustainable global competitive advantage.
Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is that it presents a refinement and expansion of the drivers of engagement within the “Four Fundamental Pillars of Engagement”, conceptualised in an international post-M&A organisational context during a downturn in the oil and gas industry.
Details