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This paper offers a theoretical explanation to a positive story of a micro enterprise found in Uganda, an African developing country that has successfully managed workplace relationships, its survival and good performance. Specifically, the paper examines multiple theories to explain the practice in this enterprise.

The study uses storytelling, a form of narrative inquiry embedded in qualitative methodology. Based on in-depth interviews with the owner-manager and employees, a story was developed detailing their practical experience while focusing on the context, actions, results and lessons.

Findings reveal that micro enterprises that allow free generation of ideas across all levels with optimistic people who reciprocate and work together create a friendly work atmosphere with support for one another, with the ability to amicably resolve conflicts and build trust. More so, theories including social exchange theory, relational cohesion theory, complex adaptive systems theory and cultural historical activity theory help explain the manifestations of relational people management in micro enterprises.

This paper is unique in its use of a positive story showing a practical experience of how workplace relationships are managed in a micro enterprise found in Uganda. In addition, a multi-theoretical perspective is used to explain the manifestations in the story which may be novel in the study context. Thus, a conceptual model is proposed depicting generalized reciprocity, positive emotions, generative leadership and relational agency as antecedents of relational people management with relational agency again mediating the other relationships.

The purpose of this study is to explore whether a group dynamics perspective still exists in the scientific study of groups and what factors may account for the current situation.

Alongside reflections based on my professional experience, I have analyzed the main academic journals that publish group research.

A group dynamics perspective is almost totally absent in the scientific study of groups. Contributing factors to this state of affairs are disciplinary developments in psychology (e.g. individualization, experimentalization and specialization), the demise of the status of psychoanalysis, changes in the meaning and manifestation of the “group,” and effects of New Public Management.

The study offers a critical perspective on current group research practices and considers these in a larger (social and historical) context. It advocates a group dynamics perspective for the study of groups, based on systems-psychodynamic insights.

The purpose of this study is to validate multiplicative cycle that exists between the job readiness and satisfaction model explored by Matthews et al. (2018), the satisfaction and performance paradigmatic nuances analyzed by Judge et al. (2001) and Gu and Chi (2009), in addition to the expectancy model theorized by Vroom (1964). The motivation to transfer learning serves as a conveyable variable transmitted within a learning continuum that sustains cyclical outputs.

An archetype to explore the connection between the three hypothesized theories is created through a neural network program. Exploring this connection develops deeper understandings of the derivatives of employee motivation as it pertains to its effect on readiness, satisfaction, performance and achievement dyads. A detailed analysis of the literature leads to the hypothesis that the motivation to transfer learning creates a multiplicative effect among hypothesized relationships.

The neural network program scaffolds the proposed general belief that positive effects of transfer motives cause a cyclical effect that continues to perpetuate among hypothesized dyads. Conversely, if this motivation decreases or ceases among one or more dyads, the cyclical effect will retract and, eventually stop.

Based on the neurologic outcome, one central theme emerged: managers must offer opportunities to acquire knowledge through assistive mechanisms (i.e. training) by providing external stability through controlled channels that activates the motivation to transfer learning into new opportunities. The transference of this knowledge produces reconstructive growth opportunities through continuous learning thus increasing performance.

本研究的目的、除了驗證弗魯姆 (Vroom) (1964) 建立的「期望模型」理論外，也去驗證存在於工作準備就緒與馬修斯等人 (Matthews et al.) (2018) 所探索的滿足感模型之間的倍增週期，及質治等人 (Judge et al.) (2001) 和古與池 (Gu & Chi) (2009) 所分析的滿足感及表現之範式細微差別。學習轉移的動機作為一個被傳送至學習漸變體內的可輸送變量而運作，而這個學習漸變體是會維持週期性的輸出的。

透過神經網絡程序，創造一個用以探索這三個假設性理論之間的關係的原型。探究這些關係，會使我們更能深入了解僱員動機的衍生品，因這涉及僱員動機對準備就緒、滿足感、表現及功績二元體的影響。仔細分析文獻帶出了一個假設，就是: 學習轉移的動機會在各假設的關係裏創造一個倍增的效果。

這個神經網絡程序續步闡釋了一個被倡議的普遍觀念，那就是轉移動機的正面影響會帶來一個在假設性的二元體中會繼續持續下去的週期性效應。相反地，如果這動機在一個或多個二元體中減弱或停止，這週期性效應將會撤回及最終停止。

基於神經病學的結果，一個核心主題浮現了， 就是：管理人員必須提供透過輔助機制 (就是說：培訓) 而獲取知識的機會。方法是給會引發把學習轉為新機會的動機之受控渠道、提供外在穩定性。這知識的轉移，透過不斷學習而創造重建的成長，表現因而得以提升。

The purpose of this paper is to revisit the scholarly impact agenda in the context of work-based and workplace research, and to propose new directions for research and practice.

This paper combines a contemporary literature review with case vignettes and reflections from practice to develop more nuanced understandings, and highlights future directions for making sense of impact in the context of work-based learning research approaches.

This paper argues that three dimensions to making sense of impact need to be more nuanced in relation to workplace research: interactional elements of workplace research processes have the potential for discursive pathways to impact, presence (and perhaps non-action) can act as a pathway to impact, and the narrative nature of time means that there is instability in making sense of impact over time.

The paper proposes a number of implications for practitioner-researchers, universities/research organisations, and focusses on three key areas: the amplification of research ethics in workplace research, the need for axiological shifts towards sustainability and the need to explicate axiological orientation in research.

This paper offers a contemporary review of the international impact debate in the specific context of work-based and workplace research approaches.

Based on the conservation of resource theory, this study developed and tested the relationship between workplace ostracism and job performance. And it assumes that the direct link between workplace ostracism and supervisor-rated in-role performance/organizational citizenship behavior is moderated by perceived organizational support.

For this, this study used a survey method and multiple regression analyses with multisource data from 256 Korean employees and their supervisors.

The results suggest the following. First, workplace ostracism was negatively associated with supervisor-rated in-role performance and organizational citizenship behaviors. Second, there was a stronger negative relationship between workplace ostracism and supervisor-rated in-role performance/organizational citizenship behaviors for employees with low as opposed to those with high levels of perceived organizational support.

This study is the first one to examine the moderating effect of perceived organizational support on the relationship between workplace ostracism and supervisor-rated in-role performance/organizational citizenship behavior.

以資源守恆論為基礎，本研究發展並測試了工作場所排斥與工作表現的關係。本研究假設感知組織支持會緩和工作場所排斥與主管評價的角色中的表現／組織公民行為之間的直接聯繫。

就此而言，本研究採用了調查方法及多元回歸分析法。多源數據取自256名韓國人僱員及其主管。

研究結果有以下的顯示：第一、工作場所排斥與主管評價的角色中的表現及組織公民行為有負相關的關係。第二、就工作場所排斥與主管評價的角色中的表現／組織公民行為的反向關連的關係而言，感知組織支持水平低的僱員，相對於水平高的僱員，呈現更強的負相關。

這是首個研究、去探討感知組識支持在工作場所排斥與主管評價的角色中的表現／組織公民行為間之關係上所起的調節作用。﹞

Democratic therapeutic communities (TCs), use a “flattened hierarchy” model whereby staff and clients are considered to have an equal voice, sharing administrative and some therapeutic responsibility. Using the sociological framework of interaction ritual chain theory, the purpose of this paper is to explain how TC client members negotiated and enforced community expectations through an analysis of power within everyday interactions outside of structured therapy.

The study used narrative ethnography, consisting of participant observation with two democratic communities, narrative interviews with 21 client members, and semi-structured interviews with seven staff members.

The findings indicate social interactions could empower clients to recognise their personal agency and to support one another. However, these dynamics could be destructive when members were excluded or marginalised. Some clients used their interactions at times to consolidate power amongst dominant members.

It is argued that the flattened hierarchy approach theoretically guiding TC principles does not operate as a flattened model in practice. Rather, a fluid hierarchy, whereby clients shift and change social positions, seems more suited to explaining how the power structure worked within the communities, including amongst the client group. Recognising the hierarchy as “fluid” may open dialogues within TCs as to whether, and how, members experience exclusion.

Explorations of power have not specifically focused on power dynamics between clients. Moreover, this is one of the first papers to look at power dynamics outside of structured therapy.

This study explores the reasons behind the popularity of majoring in Public Relations as opposed to Journalism or Digital Media among mass communications undergraduates in Oman. It attempts to gain insight into the factors influencing students’ decision-making process in selecting their major. It explores factors such as choice of major and sources of information that shape students’ knowledge and perception of the majors, using variables such as knowledge of job market, knowledge of curriculum, information sources and personal influences shaping major choice and selection. The study confirms that perception of the job market is a crucial factor in the selection of the majors. It also reveals that family plays a crucial role in influencing students’ decision-making process while choosing a major. The study concludes that strengthening the role of the academic advisor and educating students on course content and learning outcomes can increase the acceptance of less popular majors among communication undergraduates. The study is relevant in the context that the falling numbers of student enrolments in some areas of media studies could lead to a decline in teaching and research activities in those areas, in addition to a possible shortfall of specific skilled professionals in the national labour market pool.

Bureaucracy to a large extent entrenches orderliness and productive means of achieving goals in both public and private organisations across the world. However, bureaucracy is not suitable in the management of hospitals due to its peculiar nature of operations. This study investigates the conundrum of bureaucratic processes and health-care service delivery in government hospitals in Nigeria.

The study surveyed 600 outpatients and attendees visiting tertiary and government hospitals in Nigeria using descriptive design to obtained data from the respondents. A research instrument, questionnaire, was used to gather data. Out of the 600 outpatients visiting the 20 hospitals in government and tertiary hospitals, 494 responses were returned from the attendees. The study employed random sampling strategy to collect the information.

The findings of this study were that service delivery in government hospitals were in adverse position on all the four constructs of bureaucratic dimensions as against quality of service delivery in hospitals in Nigeria. It discovered that bureaucratic impersonality cannot impact on the quality of service delivery in government hospitals in Nigeria. Separation and division of labour among health workers have no significant effect on quality service delivery in government hospitals. Formal rules and regulations (administrative procedure, rules, and policies) prevent quality service delivery in government hospitals in Nigeria. Also, patient’s waiting time was not significant to the quality of service delivery in government hospitals.

The results are constrained with dimensions of bureaucratic processes. Thus, the implication of this study is that bureaucracy in the Nigerian public hospitals is an unnecessary marriage which should be carefully separated and de-emphasised for quality service delivery in the hospitals to thrive.

Largely, this study is practical essential as it unearths the irrelevant operations procedure that hinder progress in Nigerian hospitals.

The study accomplishes recognised importance to survey how bureaucracy impedes quality service delivery in government hospitals. This study has provided a vital clue to elements that will bring rapid attention to patients’outcome in Nigerian hospitals and health-care facilities which hitherto has not been emphasised. The study has contributed to the existing body of knowledge associated to healthcare service quality in developing country.

The paper aims to clarify the multivariate effects of follower communication apprehension (CA) and demographic dissimilarity on follower perceptions of the leader–follower relationship quality (i.e. measured by leader–member exchange (LMX) theory). This study examined the possible mediating effects of follower CA on the relationship between demographic dissimilarity and LMX.

Research was collected from self-report ratings of one member of the dyad; several proactive techniques were utilized to reduce common method variance in the development and administration of the survey instrument. In total, 260 (N = 260) full-time hospitality industry employees participated in the study.

The results of this study indicate demographic dissimilarity has minimal effect on LMX and CA. However, the results indicated that follower CA was negatively related to follower perceptions of LMX quality. In addition, the results indicated that tenure working with the supervisor was negatively related to follower CA and positively related to follower perceptions of LMX quality.

Research results may lack generalizability, and causality cannot be confirmed. Future studies utilizing longitudinal designs and/or data collected from each member of the dyad may provide support for current findings.

This paper includes implications for understanding how situational characteristics influence follower CA and perceptions of LMX to encourage supervisors to increase communication with new subordinates, especially during the organizational acculturation process, thus reducing turnover. Furthermore, the significant relationship between age dissimilarity and CA offers practical implications for managing and celebrating generational differences in the workplace and bridging the gap between generations by maximizing communication between supervisors and subordinates. Communication is an essential consideration in the hospitality industry linked to creativity, relationship building and enhanced service experiences. Ultimately, this paper provides guidance for leaders to build sustainable, positive relationships with subordinates through more effective communication and build more inclusive service-based organizations.

This paper contributes to communication and leadership management practices by addressing four major problems: (1) limited research on situational characteristics that inhibit LMX quality, (2) limited research on communication variables as antecedents to LMX, (3) minimal research on the relationship between CA and LMX and (4) non-existent research on CA as a mediating variable in the relationship between demographic dissimilarity and LMX.