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Book part
Publication date: 23 November 2023

William Arrocha

Granting ‘sanctuary’ in the United States to those fleeing poverty and violence is rooted in a deep history of hospitality and compassion. As we are witnessing a rise in…

Abstract

Granting ‘sanctuary’ in the United States to those fleeing poverty and violence is rooted in a deep history of hospitality and compassion. As we are witnessing a rise in xenophobia accompanied by policies of exclusion, we also see a rising number of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ limiting their cooperation with immigration authorities that many communities consider are using extremely harsh and punitive measures to detain and deport irregular migrants. As this chapter will demonstrate, there has been a dramatic increase through ‘immigration federalism’ of the number of these jurisdictions in cities, states and municipalities since the first practices of ‘sanctuary’ in the 1980s as result of the waves of forced migration due to the civil wars in Central America. The author also proposes that those entities granting ‘sanctuary’ to irregular migrants should also apply practices of ‘compassionate migration’ as described in the chapter to expand their protections further and include them in their communities.

Book part
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Todd Brower

Anyone who has recently watched television or movies can tell you that transgender, gender nonbinary or gender expansive people are becoming more visible in these media. This…

Abstract

Anyone who has recently watched television or movies can tell you that transgender, gender nonbinary or gender expansive people are becoming more visible in these media. This trend reflects the reality that younger generations are increasingly identifying with more fluid and nonbinary gender and sexual identities and are progressively expressing those identities in a more flexible and changing manner (Herman et al., 2022; Wilson & Meyer, 2021). Unsurprisingly then, those individuals are also more visible at work, including in workplaces with employer-mandated dress codes. Indeed, in 2020 the US Supreme Court decided a case involving a transgender woman, Aimee Stephens, who was fired because her employer, a funeral home, required her to conform to its gender-binary dress policy and wear clothing mandatory for people assigned male at birth, rather than appropriate for her female gender identity ( Bostock v. Clayton County, 2020).

However, as the description of Aimee Stephens's own experience illustrates, often these employer appearance codes are based on a binary and fixed conception of gender and gender identity and expression at odds with the increasing number of workers who do not identify within those rigid parameters. Moreover, even when an employee, like Aimee Stephens herself, could have fit within her employer's dress code, the improper application of that policy to her, or employer concerns about customer or co-worker discomfort with an employee's appearance under the policy may mean that a worker's identity and expression may still conflict with a workplace appearance code. For gender nonbinary or nonconforming individuals, these complications are magnified.

This chapter explores the practical problems and barriers that employer dress codes have on employees whose gender identity and/or presentation move beyond the traditional male/female binary. Using insights from queer theory, gender expansive employees serve to interrogate fundamental assumptions behind workplace dress policies and the formal and informal ways in which these policies are policed. The chapter will explore that discordance, examine possible employer resolutions, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of those responses.

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Appearance in the Workplace
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-174-7

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 July 2022

K. Chandra Shekar and Manikantha Nataraj

Subcontracting is a crucial cause behind the simultaneous existence of formal and informal entrepreneurship in India. This article aims to provide an over-time comparative…

Abstract

Purpose

Subcontracting is a crucial cause behind the simultaneous existence of formal and informal entrepreneurship in India. This article aims to provide an over-time comparative analysis between the subcontracted and the non-subcontracted enterprises within the informal sector. Further, it also brings to fore the contribution of subcontracting towards ensuring sustainability of the informal enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

By constructing a panel data from two rounds of NSS Unincorporated Enterprise Survey Data (2010 and 2015), and employing a PSM-DID method, considering labour productivity and net retained earnings as two critical indicators of growth and development of the informal sector firms, this study has made some broad claims regarding the differences in immediate and long run performances between the subcontracted and non-subcontracted informal sector enterprises in India.

Findings

This study finds that subcontracted enterprises have not only been performing at a much lower level than the non-subcontracted enterprises, they are also growing much slowly than their counterparts. However, it has been observed that for the establishments, who are capital abundant and also have a larger production capacity, subcontracting is showing the prospect for deriving sustainable gains.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the existing literature in the following two ways. Firstly, it provides an over-time comparative analysis between the subcontracted and the non-subcontracted enterprises within the informal sector. Secondly, it brings to fore the contribution of subcontracting towards ensuring sustainability of the informal enterprises.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 6 April 2023

Barbara H. Zaitzow

Purpose – Prison health is public health. Yet, efforts to protect against as well as slow the spread of COVID-19 are virtually impossible in prison settings where “what we know”…

Abstract

Purpose – Prison health is public health. Yet, efforts to protect against as well as slow the spread of COVID-19 are virtually impossible in prison settings where “what we know” may not match with policies. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, incarcerated people are uniquely at risk as correctional facilities are “super-spreader” sites for prisoners and staff alike. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the impact of COVID-19 in prisons along with the additional personal and social costs associated with the pandemic (e.g., lockdowns, limited visitation, etc.) that can also impact the health status of those “doing COVID time.”

Methodology/Approach – This chapter examines the multifaceted impact of the COVID pandemic on those (in)directly impacted in correctional settings. It is not an empirical work.

Originality/Value – This chapter provides insight into the often taken-for-granted impact of the COVID pandemic on those who live and work in prison settings. The recommendations may be of interest to those who “do the time,” those who work in such settings, and social justice advocates and others involved in policy-making.

Details

Crime and Social Control in Pandemic Times
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-279-2

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Article
Publication date: 11 August 2023

Thi Kim Thoa Ninh, Thi Huyen Ngo and Hong Sinh Nguyen

The aim of this paper is to investigate the needs of lecturers and learners for digital scholarship services (DSS) and to suggest recommendations for the development of DSS at…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the needs of lecturers and learners for digital scholarship services (DSS) and to suggest recommendations for the development of DSS at Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM).

Design/methodology/approach

The research employed a mixed method approach, comprising a paper questionnaire with 360 respondents to collect quantitative data and in-depth interviews with 18 participants, including lecturers (L), postgraduate students (P), and undergraduate students (U), to gather qualitative data.

Findings

The findings indicate that lecturers and students have diverse needs for various DSS services, with digital information resources and institutional repositories being the most common, followed by new and workable digital technology infrastructure, training courses in using digital tools and methods, and ongoing advice and support at different stages of the research process.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this study indicate that further research is necessary to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the DSS needs in higher education institutions in Vietnam of various sizes and characteristics.

Practical implications

This research provides a practical basis for the development and provision of appropriate support to the development of DSS at VNU-HCM.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper and its value lies in the contribution to the understanding of the needs of DSS in a context of the digital transformation and the improvement of the quality of education and research in the higher education sector in Vietnam.

Details

Library Management, vol. 44 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

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Article
Publication date: 18 April 2023

Benjamin Osayawe Ehigie, Adeshola Abiodun Odunela and Rebecca Ibhaguelo Ehigie

This study aims to examine emotional intelligence (EI) and organizational communication as predictors of teamwork effectiveness among bank employees in Nigeria. The Nigerian…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine emotional intelligence (EI) and organizational communication as predictors of teamwork effectiveness among bank employees in Nigeria. The Nigerian banking industry suffered financial crisis, leading to depression, following inability to meet standards of the regulatory body. With current emphasis on teamwork for business growth, literatures suggest EI and organizational communication as predictors for teamwork effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey of 230 bank employees, selected through multistage sampling, using a valid and reliable structured questionnaire that incorporated all research variables was used for data collection. A questionnaire containing the research scales was administered and data were collected.

Findings

Positive relationship was established between perceived teamwork effectiveness and components of EI, including self-emotion appraisal, other’s emotion appraisal (OEA), actual use of emotion and regulation of emotion (ROE) and perceived organizational communication effectiveness. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that age, gender, job status and educational qualification jointly predicted teamwork effectiveness, although only educational qualification contributed significantly. The inclusion of EI dimensions showed that only OEA, actual use of emotion and ROE were significant predictors, along with organizational communication.

Research limitations/implications

Data collected were based on self-report of the participants. It is advised that more objective measures could be devised. The findings are limited to the banking industry and cannot be generalized to other work organizations. The research was conducted in Nigeria, a developing country; thus, the findings may not be generalized to the developed nations.

Practical implications

Educational factor could be applied in engaging team members. On the alternative, commercial banks should invest in periodic training programs to enhance employee communication skills and EI. Human resources personnel could use these research outcomes to enhance the selection and placement of employees in commercial banks. By these research findings the adequacies of some psychological theories in explaining team effectiveness have been empirically implicated, and the literature on team effectiveness has been increased. Consequently, commercial banks should invest in periodic training programs to enhance employee communication skills and EI, and use these findings to enhance selection and placement in Nigerian banks. It is evident from the results of the present study that the more educated team members are the more likely their teams would be effective in the teamwork. However, periodic training (both off the job and on the job) on EI and its pertinent dimensions, and adoption of appropriate communication styles, could be used to compliment educational deficiencies. Thus, the less educated persons could function adequately in teams if they receive the empowerment. The human resources managers are to note that new bank employees would be better team players when there are adequate orientated on programs on how towards effective to communicate at teamwork functions.

Social implications

It is evident from these research findings that EI and appropriate organizational communication are behavioral tools that could enhance team interaction and consequently improve team effectiveness.

Originality/value

It is revealed how teams could be made effective through the combined factors of EI and organizational communication, especially among bank employees in Nigeria. Unlike some other studies, this research discovered the specific EI factors that could enhance team effectiveness, not just general EI. It empirically validated some theories that are proposed in relation to EI and organizational communication. This study showcased how teams could be made more effective in the banking sector of the Nigerian economy.

Details

Team Performance Management: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-7592

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Article
Publication date: 28 June 2023

Lore Bellemans, Geert Devos, Melissa Tuytens and Eva Vekeman

Work-related stress is a significant occupational health issue. Stress cannot be viewed separately from the perceptual or interpretive act by the individual. Self-efficacy is a…

Abstract

Purpose

Work-related stress is a significant occupational health issue. Stress cannot be viewed separately from the perceptual or interpretive act by the individual. Self-efficacy is a personal characteristic that explains a high proportion of variation in the performance of school principals.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study examines if the COVID-pandemic is related to burnout among school principals. Additionally, the study analyzes if the self-efficacy of school principals plays a mediating role in the impact that the COVID-19 crisis had on their burnout level. To explore this, the authors used survey data of 981 Flemish school principals.

Findings

The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is related to feelings of burnout among Flemish school principals. In addition, self-efficacy mediated the relationship between the COVID-19 scale and the four core subscales of burnout: exhaustion, mental distance, emotional impairment and cognitive impairment. No mediating effect of self-efficacy was found for the secondary symptoms of burnout, psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints.

Originality/value

This paper emphasizes the importance of school principal's self-efficacy experiences for crisis management. Implications for school leadership training and support are discussed.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 61 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2022

Christopher Boafo, Alexis Catanzaro and Utz Dornberger

The International Labor Organization (2020) estimates that eight out of ten enterprises (i.e. own-account workers and small economic units) are informal worldwide. However, less…

Abstract

Purpose

The International Labor Organization (2020) estimates that eight out of ten enterprises (i.e. own-account workers and small economic units) are informal worldwide. However, less is known about the internationalization of informal enterprises. Here, it is argued that economic blocs, such as sub-Saharan Africa, with a greater proportion of informal enterprises, may provide broader societal legitimacy for them to operate internationally. Thus, informal firms would need to collaborate with other firms to overcome their resource constraints. Geographic colocation is one way to facilitate positive interfirm interactions that promote networking and subsequently cooperation. The purpose of this paper is, thus, to addresses two questions. Firstly, how and to what extent does interfirm marketing cooperation in geographic colocation influence the internationalization of micro and small informal manufacturing enterprises? Secondly, how do the perceived benefits of local external economies moderate this relationship?

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws evidence from 125 randomly selected informal enterprises located in two major clusters in Ghana, using a mixed-method approach.

Findings

The partial least square - structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis applied revealed two central points. Firstly, sharing marketing costs allows informal firms to upgrade their phases of export development directly. Secondly, the linkage of increasing sales activities and local external economies encourages the progress of the phases of export development and the scope of internationalization. Results confirm that the cluster benefits of interfirm cooperation and local external economies on the informal firm internationalization process complement each other in addition to their linear relationship.

Originality/value

The study contributes to understanding the nexus of the informal sector, geographic colocation and the entrepreneurial internationalization literature. The results should motivate researchers and policymakers to approach informal firm internationalization through collaborative business activities.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 August 2023

Yoshija Walter

There is evidence that spirituality at the workplace has positive effects on work outcomes, and there are different models conceptualizing the construct. To date, there is no…

1544

Abstract

Purpose

There is evidence that spirituality at the workplace has positive effects on work outcomes, and there are different models conceptualizing the construct. To date, there is no discussion highlighting how digitalization is affecting workplace spirituality and vice versa. The present review tries to close this gap by discussing the psychological dynamics in light of digitalization and spirituality in the context of work.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual discussion based on an extensive narrative review. The conceptual design is further tested with a real-life case study.

Findings

The result is a model that may guide future research, which consists of the four highly interdependent domains, namely psychology (with the dimensions of emotion, cognition and behavior), digitalization (with the dimensions of platforms, data and algorithms), spirituality (with the dimensions of meaning, self-transcendation and belonging), as well as the workplace (with the dimensions of work tasks, location, community and culture and values). The discussion includes implications for the future of work, suggestions for management decisions and potential future research directions.

Originality/value

To date, there are many discussions about digital transformation and a limited amount of them have invested in analyzing psychological dimensions. The application to spirituality and the workplace – especially when the two are combined – is almost wholly absent, which makes the present discussion both innovative and original.

Details

Digital Transformation and Society, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0761

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Article
Publication date: 21 March 2023

Hussain Tariq, Abdullah Almashayekhi, Ahsan Ali, M. Burhan and Hirra Pervez Butt

Expanding on the research of the antecedents of abusive supervision, this study aims to explore supervisor role overload as a supervisor-level predictor of abusive supervision…

Abstract

Purpose

Expanding on the research of the antecedents of abusive supervision, this study aims to explore supervisor role overload as a supervisor-level predictor of abusive supervision. Based on transactional stress theory, the authors investigate role overload that is appraised as a challenge or a hindrance stressor by supervisors, leading to pleasant or unpleasant feelings, respectively. The authors propose that, based on their appraisal, these feelings of supervisors act as a mediating mechanism that can facilitate or inhibit their abusive behaviour at work. Additionally, the authors posit emotional intelligence (EI) as a key moderator in helping supervisors manage the negative feelings arising from perceiving role overload as a hindrance and preventing them from demonstrating abusive supervision.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the proposed moderated mediation model, the authors collected two-wave data from middle-level supervisors or managers from several organisations located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (N = 990).

Findings

The results largely support the hypothesised relationships and show that depending on supervisor appraisal, role overload can generate pleasant or unpleasant feelings in supervisors and, consequently, impede or facilitate abusive supervision. They also shed light on the moderating effect of EI, in that supervisors scoring high on EI are better equipped to deal with unpleasant feelings arising from role overload and effectively manage their workplace behaviour, that is, to avoid abusive behaviours.

Originality/value

Role overload can have different impacts on employees: on the one hand, there is a potential for growth, which entails drive and enthusiasm; on the other hand, it could feel like an unsurmountable mountain for employees, leading to different forms of anxiety. Because what we feel is what we project onto others, supervisors experiencing unpleasant feelings cannot be the best leader they can be; even worse, they can become a source of negativity by displaying destructive behaviours such as abusive supervision. The corollary of something as minor as an interaction with a leader experiencing unpleasant feelings could have a ripple effect and lead to adverse outcomes for organisations and their employees. This study explores the different perceptions of role overload and the subsequent feelings coming from those perceptions as supervisor-level predictors of abusive supervision. While it is not possible to objectively put a different lens inside the minds of supervisors when they face stressors at work, to feel pleasant or unpleasant, they can be trained to manage their negative feelings and keep their behaviours in check. Particularly, training managers to be more emotionally intelligent can help them not only achieve growth by overcoming challenges at work but also acknowledge and adapt their feelings to keep their behaviours in the workplace positive. In practical terms, this research can provide organisations with the knowledge required to nip the problem of abusive supervision in the bud, as prevention is always better than cure.

Details

International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1044-4068

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