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This paper aims to examine two types of age-related human resources (HR) practices, i.e. age-specific and age-inclusive HR practices and firm-level (meso-level) factors that foster or hinder the implementation of these two types of practices.

Based on a cross-case analysis of four firms across industries in Thailand, a developing country, the empirical evidence draws on semi-structured interviews with the top managers, HR managers and aging employees of four firms; field visits; nonparticipant observations; and a review of archival documents and Web-based reports and resources.

This paper proposes that age-specific HR practices primarily include those HR practices under the regulation HR bundle and some HR practices under the maintenance and recovery HR bundles. Additionally, the factors fostering the implementation of age-specific HR practices in firms include group corporate culture, nonunionism within the workplace, paternalistic leaders, a focus on the development of internal labor markets within firms and the need for tacit knowledge transfer from aging employees to younger-generation employees, whereas the factors hindering the implementation of age-specific HR practices in firms include age biases within firms. Moreover, age-inclusive HR practices primarily include HR practices under the development HR bundle and some HR practices under the maintenance and recovery HR bundles. Additionally, the factors fostering the implementation of age-inclusive HR practices in firms include the procedural justice climate, the transition from a family ownership structure to a professional ownership structure and result-/output-based corporate culture, whereas the factors hindering the implementation of age-inclusive HR practices in firms include experience-/seniority-based corporate culture. In fact, some of the meso-level factors that foster or hinder the implementation of age-specific and age-inclusive HR practices tend to be influenced by the national institutional and cultural contexts of the developing country where firms that implement such HR practices are located.

This paper aims to fill the research gap by examining both age-specific and age-inclusive HR practices. Additionally, this paper analyzes the factors fostering or hindering the implementation of these two dimensions of age-related HR practices across firms by using a case study of firms in Thailand, a developing country. To date, most studies in this area have focused on one of these dimensions, while comparisons between different HR dimensions are rather scarce. Finally, this paper contributes to the prior literature on strategic HR and comparative institutional perspective on HR strategies and practices as proposed by Batt and Banerjee (2012) and Batt and Hermans (2012) that future research should go beyond the meso-level (organizational) context. In this regard, some of the factors that foster or hinder the implementation of age-specific and age-inclusive HR practices tend to be influenced by the national institutional and cultural contexts of the developing country of Thailand.

This study aims to examine to what extent the relationships between hospital workers’ perceptions of lean leadership behaviour, their engagement and the hospital unit’s perceived performance are mediated by job demands.

The data (n = 1,624) come from a lean implementation study in a Dutch hospital and are analysed using structural equation modelling in Mplus (v8.4).

The results confirm that lean leadership behaviour is related to employee engagement and hospital unit performance as perceived by employees, and these relationships are partially mediated through job demands. More specifically, the authors found that the type of job demand explains the direction of mediation effects. On the one hand, so-called challenging demands positively mediate the relationships between lean leadership behaviour and its outcomes. Conversely, hindering demands negatively mediates the relationship between lean leadership behaviour and perceived unit performance.

The authors recommend hospital organisations and human resources managers start by helping hospital leaders understand the underlying mechanisms that explain the effects of leadership on employees’ perceptions and, second, support their frontline leaders by providing training, coaching and feedback on how to influence job demands in a way that creates an optimal work environment for hospital employees.

The authors contribute to the literature by building upon insights from the job demands-resources model to explain the effects of lean leadership behaviour and by investigating the relevance of lean leadership in a hospital context, given the phenomenon’s strong roots in manufacturing.

This paper aims to identify and provide a theoretical explanation for the barriers that hinder the adoption of emerging technologies in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, irrespective of the company’s size, specialization or geographical location. In addition, the paper proposes potential areas for future research in this domain.

A list of barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies was identified and clarified using a systematic literature review of various scientific sources.

Twenty-five barriers were recognized and explained and some suggestions for future research studies were provided.

The barriers related to a specific country or region or to a specific technology were excluded.

By providing a deeper comprehension of the barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies, this review is expected to encourage their adoption in the industry. Furthermore, it could prove valuable in devising effective strategies for the successful implementation of these technologies.

This study aims to adapt and validate the Job Crafting Scale (JCS), a measure based on the conceptualization of job crafting of the job demands–resources theory, for a sample of Portuguese workers and to test its psychometric properties regarding validity (factor, convergent, discriminant, and criterion) and reliability.

Two subsamples (n1 = 315 and n2 = 329) of Portuguese workers aged 18 years old and over participated in this research. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the factor structure.

The results indicated that the Portuguese version of the JCS, with 18 items, has a factor structure composed of four-correlated factors. Furthermore, the results demonstrated the existence of factor, discriminant, and criterion validity, as well as reliability.

This study provides a job crafting measure adapted to the Portuguese language that can serve as a diagnostic tool for workers and organizations.

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo adaptar y validar la Job Crafting Scale (JCS), una medida basada en la conceptualización de job crafting de la Teoría de Demandas-Recursos, para una muestra de trabajadores portugueses y probar sus propiedades psicométricas en cuanto a validez (factor, convergente, discriminante y de criterio) y confiabilidad.

En esta investigación participaron dos submuestras (n1 = 315 y n2 = 329) de trabajadores portugueses de 18 años o más. Se utilizó un análisis factorial exploratorio y un análisis factorial confirmatorio para evaluar la estructura factorial.

Los resultados indicaron que la versión portuguesa del JCS, con 18 ítems, tiene una estructura factorial compuesta por cuatro factores correlacionados. Además, los resultados demostraron la existencia de validez factorial, discriminante y de criterio, así como confiabilidad.

Este estudio proporciona una medida de job crafting adaptada a la lengua portuguesa que puede servir como herramienta de diagnóstico para trabajadores y organizaciones.

Este estudo teve como objetivo adaptar e validar a Job Crafting Scale (JCS), uma medida baseada na conceptualização de job crafting da Teoria das Exigências-Recursos, numa amostra de trabalhadores portugueses e testar as suas propriedades psicométricas quanto à validade (fatorial, convergente, discriminante e de critério) e fiabilidade.

Duas subamostras (n1 = 315 e n2 = 329) compostas por trabalhadores portugueses com 18 ou mais anos foram recolhidas. Foram utilizadas uma análise fatorial exploratória e uma análise fatorial confirmatória para analisar a estrutura fatorial.

Os resultados obtidos indicaram que a versão portuguesa da JCS, composta por 18 itens, possui uma estrutura fatorial composta por quatro fatores correlacionados. Além disso, os resultados demonstraram a existência de validade fatorial, discriminante e de critério, bem como de fiabilidade.

Este estudo fornece uma medida de job crafting adaptada para a língua portuguesa que pode servir como ferramenta de diagnóstico para trabalhadores e organizações.

This study aims to explore the associations linking employees’ challenge-hindrance appraisals toward artificial intelligence (AI) to service performance while considering the dual mediating roles of job crafting and job insecurity, as well as the moderating role of AI knowledge.

A survey was administered to a sample of 297 service industry employees. This study examined all the hypotheses with Mplus 8.0.

This study confirms that challenge appraisal toward AI has an indirect positive influence on service performance via job crafting (motivation process), whereas hindrance appraisal toward AI has an indirect negative influence on service performance via job insecurity (strain process). Meanwhile, AI knowledge, serving as a key personal resource, could strengthen the positive impacts of challenge appraisal toward AI on job crafting and of hindrance appraisal toward AI on job insecurity.

Organizational decision-makers should first survey employees’ appraisals toward AI and then adopt targeted managerial strategies. From the perspective of service industry employees, employees should adopt proactive coping strategies and enrich their knowledge of AI to meet the challenges brought by this technology.

The primary contribution of this study is that we enrich the literature on AI by exploring the dual mediators (i.e. job crafting and job insecurity) through which AI awareness affects service performance. Moreover, this study advances our understanding of when appraisals toward AI influence job outcomes by identifying the moderating role of AI knowledge.

This study explores the awareness (AWN) levels of good governance amongst Thai credit union cooperatives' (CUCs) members and the factors hindering good governance practice in Thai CUCs.

This study used a survey questionnaire from 629 members of 36 selected CUCs in Thailand. This study analysed the determinants of governance AWN levels of Thai CUCs' members using the ordered probit model. The study also employs OLS estimation to investigate the factors hindering good governance practices.

The study shows that members of different CUC types and sizes have different levels of governance AWN. Members' characteristics, experiences, and perceptions significantly influence CUC members' AWN of governance issues. The findings also suggest that a lack of morality, transparency, participation, responsibility and accountability are key obstacles that hinder good governance practices of Thai CUCs.

This is the first study that attempts to assess the level of AWN amongst Thai CUCs' members in different CUC sizes and types. This is also the first research that identifies the factors that hinder good governance practice in Thai CUCs based on members' evaluations. The study's findings provide important reference and implications for Thai policy makers and CUCs' board of managers to enhance members' AWN and CUCs' governance performance, and thus increase income and living standard of CUCs' members in the long term.

The built environment is a complex sector that demands coordination and cooperation of stakeholders. Construction projects from the complex sector require skills, services, and integration of major disciplines in the built environment. Sustainability of the major disciplines' standards regarding the appropriateness of the built environment tertiary education cannot be over-emphasised in Nigeria. Studies concerning Nigeria's built environment programmes accreditation (BEPA) in the 21st-century education system are scarce. Thus, the study investigated the relevance and perceived factors hindering Nigeria's BEPA in the 21st-century education system. Also, the study proffered measures to improve Nigerian built environment tertiary education accreditation ranking.

Data were sourced from elite virtual interviews across Nigeria. The interviewees were knowledgeable about Nigeria's built environment programmes accreditation, and many of them have been directly or indirectly involved. The investigators utilised a thematic analysis for the collated data and enhanced it with secondary sources.

The study revealed that several Nigerian academia in the built environment lack fame in research, publication, and citations due to barriers in their workplace. It has hindered their global institution's accreditation and ranking standards. Findings identified inadequate basic infrastructure, obsolete curricula, lack of research novelty, lack of higher education institutions funding, inadequate staffing and lax upskilling and reskilling, and unethical practices “systematic corruption” as major factors hindering BEPA. Also, findings proffered measures to improve Nigeria's BEPA global ranking.

The study is limited to the perceived barriers and measures to improve BEPA in the 21st-century in Nigeria via semi-structured virtual interviews. Future study is needed to validate the findings as highlighted in the thematic network.

The paper confirms that the BEPA requires innovative and multidisciplinary measures to improve the global ranking of these programmes and, by extension, the higher education institutions ranking globally. The paper would stir major stakeholders and advance the built environment programmes quality accreditation regarding international best practices and maintain the minimum standards.

The paper comprehensively analyses the perceived factors and proffered measures to improve Nigeria's BEPA in the 21st-century via a thematic network. The outcome intends to improve the global ranking and stir stakeholders to reposition and showcase Nigeria's built environment programmes to the world.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the construction industry from a Nigerian perspective. It aims to fill the knowledge gap by focusing on the specific challenges faced in developing countries, considering the unique contexts and constraints of the Nigerian construction industry.

The study used a comprehensive literature review to identify 26 obstacles to mechatronics adoption. These obstacles were used to develop a well-structured questionnaire, which was then distributed to construction professionals using Google Forms through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The rankings obtained from the questionnaire responses were analyzed to determine the most significant obstacles.

The study revealed the top five most significant obstacles to mechatronics adoption in the Nigerian construction industry. These obstacles include high costs of operation and maintenance, resistance to adopting new technologies, a lack of standardized protocols, insufficient maintenance capabilities and a lack of government support. Factor analysis revealed five clusters of obstacles: technological-related factors, economic-related factors, capability-related factors, government-related factors and awareness-related factors.

Findings from this study have the potential to inform decision-making, drive policy changes and guide future research efforts aimed at promoting the widespread adoption of mechatronics technologies, ultimately leading to the transformation and improvement of the construction industry as a whole.

This study contributes to the field of mechatronics adoption in the construction industry by addressing the gap in research specific to developing countries such as Nigeria. By identifying and analyzing the obstacles from a Nigerian perspective, the study offers unique insights and original findings.

The purpose of this study was to explore school principals’ job crafting profiles during the prolonged COVID-19 crisis in 2021, and investigate profile differences regarding principals’ own perceived servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness.

Using latent profile analysis (LPA), two job crafting profiles were identified: (1) active crafters (55%) and (2) average crafters (45%). By auxiliary measurement-error-weighted-method (BCH), we examined whether and how job crafting profiles differed in terms of servant leadership, stress and work meaningfulness.

Active crafters reported higher than the overall mean level of approach-oriented job crafting (increasing job resources and demands), whereas average crafters reported an overall mean level of approach-oriented job crafting. Avoidance-oriented job crafting by decreasing hindering job demands did not differentiate the two profiles. Active crafters reported significantly higher servant leadership behavior, stress and work meaningfulness than average crafters.

Study findings provide new knowledge and reflect the implications that the unprecedented pandemic had for education. This study contributes to the existing literature within the scholarship of job crafting through empirical research during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. For practitioners, these study findings reflect contextual constraints, organizational processes and culture, and leadership in workplaces.

Studies show that building information modelling (BIM) technology can improve construction productivity regarding the design, construction and maintenance of a project life cycle in the 21st century. Revit has been identified as a frequently used tool for delivering BIM in the built environment. Studies about BIM technology via Revit are scarce in training middle-level workforce higher education institutions. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relevance of BIM technology and offer measures to promote digitalisation in Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates via Revit.

Given the unexplored nature of training the middle-level workforce in Nigeria, 37 semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted across Nigeria, and saturation was achieved. The participants were knowledgeable about construction-related BIM. The researchers used a thematic analysis for the collected data and honed them with secondary sources.

Improved visualisation of design, effective and efficient work productivity, automatic design and quantification, improved database management and collaboration and data storage in the centrally coordinated model, among others, emerged as BIM’s benefits. BIM technology via Revit is challenging, especially in Nigeria’s polytechnic education curriculum. The 24 perceived issues were grouped into government/regulatory agencies-related, polytechnic management-related and polytechnic undergraduate students-related hindrances in Nigeria’s built environment.

This study is limited to BIM implications for Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates.

This study contributes to the literature paucity in attempting to uncover perceived issues hindering the implementation of BIM technology via Revit in training Nigeria’s built environment polytechnic undergraduates via a qualitative approach.