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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 1 January 1991

John F. McKenna and Richard A. Yeider

A case analysis of an organisational development interventiondesigned to reduce the reliance of the case organisation′s management onan “administrative system”. The intervention…

Abstract

A case analysis of an organisational development intervention designed to reduce the reliance of the case organisation′s management on an “administrative system”. The intervention process followed a modified action‐research model and clearly met its original change objective.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2003

Jim McKenna and Caroline Francis

Explores what people contemplating exercise (exercise contemplators) described, using the five processes of change that are considered by those who adhere to the Transtheoretical…

1391

Abstract

Explores what people contemplating exercise (exercise contemplators) described, using the five processes of change that are considered by those who adhere to the Transtheoretical Model of Change, as most important for changing exercise behaviour. Also examines four delay tactics. Analysis of structured interviews with eight exercise contemplators identified three main findings, which show that the existing conceptualisations of the processes of change lack relevance to everyday accounts of trying to become more active. Further, in practice the processes were not readily differentiated by people, although process questionnaires require people to make these differentiations. Individuals reflected their optimism for change using two dimensions. How often an individual process was used seemed less important than the personal significance of experiences or events, especially the negative actions of significant others. The findings may help to explain why “process of change” questionnaires fail to predict change for exercise. The complex mix of the ways that processes and delay tactics are used, and how they are described, illustrates how challenging it may be for these people to change without help. These issues also affect counsellors who wish to develop stage‐matched counselling based on these elements of change.

Details

Health Education, vol. 103 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 September 2008

J.C. Coulson, J. McKenna and M. Field

The purpose of this paper is to address the interplay of workplace exercising on self‐reported workplace performance.

3588

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the interplay of workplace exercising on self‐reported workplace performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods design combined a randomised cross‐over trial with concurrent focus groups. Three workplaces (two private companies, one public service organisation) were purposefully selected for their provision of on‐site exercise facilities, size (>250 employees) and large proportion of sedentary occupations. Two mood diary questionnaires were distributed to employees exercising on‐site only. Order of questionnaire completion was randomised: self‐selected exercise‐day (ExD) or no‐exercise day (NExD) first. Exercise specifics (duration, intensity, mode) and ExD mood (pre‐/post‐exercise) were recorded. On NExD, mood was measured early and late in the working day. A 15‐item work performance grid was completed at day‐ends. Three on‐site focus groups were held concurrently to explore performance‐related topics.

Findings

Among 201 volunteer respondents (67 per cent female, mean age 38.2 years), mood improved on ExD, pre‐to‐post exercise (all p<0.01). Performance indicators were higher on ExD, versus NExD (all p<0.01), independent of exercise specifics and workload. Positive changes in performance outcomes were almost exclusively linked to changes in mood. Inductive analysis of focus groups revealed 13 (of 17) themes exhibiting positive outcomes. Employee tolerance and resilience were central to the subjective findings.

Research limitations/implications

The naturalistic, dual‐paradigm study demonstrated that workday exercise can improve white‐collar workers' mood and self‐reported performance on days when they exercise at work over days when they do not. There are clear implications not only for employee wellbeing, but also for competitive advantage and motivation by increasing opportunities for exercising at work.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies that addresses the acute effects of exercise in the workplace in the same people. Self‐rated productivity effects attributable to exercising during the working day were strongly mediated by changes in mood. Statistical power is amplified within the cross‐over design.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 1 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2005

Richard J. McKenna and Brett Martin‐Smith

Proposes to call for inclusion of alternative conceptual perspectives in decision making theory and practice.

7474

Abstract

Purpose

Proposes to call for inclusion of alternative conceptual perspectives in decision making theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopts a conceptual approach drawing on a diverse range of theories, and applying an illustrative example.

Findings

Finds that failure‐prone tactics and poor choice of leadership styles are minor causes of wrong decisions. Major causes are complexity and chaos in the environment, alternative psychological approaches, and political and ethical behaviours.

Practical implications

Decision science tools and leadership style do have applicability. However, their relevance and applicability are very much subjugated by the complexity, uncertainty and near unknowability of the decision‐making context. New conceptual perspectives are required.

Originality/value

Highlights the relevance of complex, chaotic environments and human behaviours to decision processes. Intends to encourage researchers to adopt new theoretical approaches and to help practitioners understand the reasons for decision failures.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 43 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2007

J. McKenna and M. Whatling

The purpose of this paper is to explore the live experiences of urban commuter cycling (UCC).

2878

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the live experiences of urban commuter cycling (UCC).

Design/methodology/approach

In semi‐structured interviews, participants described day‐to‐day experiences of UCC in a single English city. Verbatim transcripts were coded using the themes of time, space, body and human relations, and interpreted through the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology.

Findings

The nine participants (seven males, two females) were aged 27 to 54. Each regularly commuted by bicycle at least three times per week for “18 months” to “27 years”. Strong influences on commuter cycling included the weather, daily tasks, cycling infrastructure, driver behaviour and the value of cycling for physical and mental well being. The contest for space was central to the UCC experience, with UCCs sensing they lacked respect despite feeling that they were “embodying citizenship” by enacting public policy. Due to their regular negative experiences, many UCCs were now willing to quit cycling and commute by car.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are limited to regular commuter cyclists and do little to describe the passage into regular cycling.

Practical applications

This paper highlights that cycle promoters and health educators may profit from focusing on road user interactions during the rush hour.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the untold day‐to‐day experiences of UCCs.

Details

Health Education, vol. 107 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2017

Birnir Egilsson and Harald Dolles

The sports industry is a forerunner in the international quest for talent as the search by sport clubs and the corresponding self-initiated expatriation of athletes starts at a…

Abstract

Purpose

The sports industry is a forerunner in the international quest for talent as the search by sport clubs and the corresponding self-initiated expatriation of athletes starts at a very early age. The purpose of this paper is to address this phenomenon by exploring the experiences of talented young Icelandic footballers (soccer players) in their transition from Iceland into senior-level professional football in European leagues across six dimensions – three individual and three cultural.

Design/methodology/approach

Biographical narrative interviews have been conducted with eight Icelandic players moving overseas at a young age with the purpose of advancing their career. To investigate the coping strategies applied, a purposeful sampling approach was chosen, given that half of the participants successfully dealt with transitions in their career, while the other half did not experience the same success.

Findings

As an overall result, the expatriate journey for young footballers is complex, influenced by many events, expectations, conditions and pressures that affect their support web and ability to adjust. Reflecting on the experiences of successful transitions, problem-focused coping strategies have been more effective than emotion-focused coping.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights some necessary conditions and coping strategies for young self-initiated sports expatriates to cope with the expatriate transition successfully.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to research on expatriation, as this specific group of “young professionals” has not yet been addressed by the research within international human resource management. Our research framework responds to calls in the literature to consider additional stages of player development and an array of individual and cultural factors that may have a significant role in shaping players’ careers abroad.

Details

Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-8799

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1958

WHERE are we going? The aim is to double our standard of living in the next 25 years and, as Sir Alexander Fleck, K.B.E., Chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd., so aptly…

Abstract

WHERE are we going? The aim is to double our standard of living in the next 25 years and, as Sir Alexander Fleck, K.B.E., Chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd., so aptly staled recently, ‘The man who knows where he is going is the one who is most likely to arrive.’ One might venture to expand this statement by adding that he is still more likely to arrive if the cluttering debris of inefficient methods and movements are cleared away.

Details

Work Study, vol. 7 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0043-8022

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1985

L. Vegh

A considerable reduction of threshold limit values for ethylene glycol methyl and ethyl ethers and their acetates has been proposed by the ACGIH (American Conference of…

Abstract

A considerable reduction of threshold limit values for ethylene glycol methyl and ethyl ethers and their acetates has been proposed by the ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists). Interest in propylene glycol ethers, as potential replacements for the traditional monoethylene glycol ethers is steadily growing because of toxicity, labelling and industrial hygiene reasons. Propylene glycol ethers are compared to ethylene glycol ethers. Evaporation and solubility performances are discussed. Substitution possibilities for ethylene glycol ethers are elaborated for solvent and water borne coating systems.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. 14 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Content available
Article
Publication date: 26 September 2008

Lindsey Dugdill

428

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 1 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Article
Publication date: 18 November 2021

Satish Kumar, Nitesh Pandey and Debmalya Mukherjee

Cross Cultural and Strategic Management (CCSM) began publication in 1994 and completed its 27th year in 2020. The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliometric analysis of…

1132

Abstract

Purpose

Cross Cultural and Strategic Management (CCSM) began publication in 1994 and completed its 27th year in 2020. The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliometric analysis of CCSM during the period between 1994 and 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a variety of bibliometric tools including performance analysis, authorship analysis, bibliographic coupling, keyword co-occurrence and regression analysis to present the retrospect of CCSM.

Findings

CCSM's publication and citations continue to enjoy consistent growth throughout the years. While most contributions originate in the United States, the diversity of both research and the researchers themselves continues to grow. Over the period, the emphasis has been on quantitative research design. Archival data have been the most preferred data source, and content analysis the most used data analysis method, although its use has somewhat declined over the years. Major recurring themes in the journal include cultural barriers, concept of culture, national culture, culture and organizational practices, and expatriate employees. Important drivers of citations are also identified.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s contributions are twofold. First, the authors’ comprehensive bibliometric analysis of published research in CCSM helps uncover its underlying intellectual structure and the evolution of its research themes over time. Awareness of these patterns and major themes should help future CCSM scholars to better situate their studies within the extant body of knowledge. Second, the authors’ analysis should also aid in shaping future editorial strategies for CCSM as it continues to compete with other similar journals in the fields of international business, international management and strategy.

Originality/value

CCSM earned its reputation for quality, and as a result is currently one of the leading journals in its field. Therefore, by closely examining its underlying knowledge structure, the authors provide a more complete understanding of the intellectual progress made to date in CCSM, while also shedding light on its future.

Details

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5794

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000