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1 – 10 of 181Judith R. Gordon and Karen S. Whelan‐Berry
Women on average still have more responsibility for home, family life, and child care than men. Extensive research has focused on the needs of, and support required by, these…
Abstract
Women on average still have more responsibility for home, family life, and child care than men. Extensive research has focused on the needs of, and support required by, these working women, most often exploring related organizational programs and benefits. This paper attempts to remedy this deficiency by examining the roles women perceive their spouses or partners play in these families in sharing home and family responsibilities and supporting the careers of these women. It explores the differences in the roles that women in early, middle, and late life perceive their spouses or partners play. Differences exist in women's perceptions of how spouses or partners manage family finances, support the women's careers, contribute to household management, and provide interpersonal support. Specific roles and the resulting support are related to the life satisfaction, job satisfaction, and work‐life balance of some but not all cohorts of the women surveyed.
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This paper examines a phenomenon increasingly evident among senior management and officials within Central and Eastern European commercial and governmental organisations. The term…
Abstract
This paper examines a phenomenon increasingly evident among senior management and officials within Central and Eastern European commercial and governmental organisations. The term “consultancy fatigue” coined in a Tacis report describes a sense of weariness, frustration, and cynicism about the activities of Western consultants in countries served by Tacis programmes. This “syndrome” contributes to problems in the quality and effectiveness of Western consultancy initiatives. The key points drawn from a survey of the literature are borne out by a research project, based on case studies currently under way, into the effectiveness of Western management knowledge transfer into Russia. The paper identifies the ways in which the interplay between the attitudinal sets of Russian top managers, and consultants’ behaviours, creates disillusionment and disappointment. The conclusion is that consultancy fatigue cannot be eradicated, but its worst effects can be mitigated by measures which are offered as guidelines towards the end of the paper.
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The paper explores diverse theories of development and illustrates how they are also applied to the study of disaster. Shows that recent research from both the radical and…
Abstract
The paper explores diverse theories of development and illustrates how they are also applied to the study of disaster. Shows that recent research from both the radical and conservative ideological camps recognizes the benefit of theoretical integration. Concludes with implications for disaster scholarship and management, paying special attention to the importance of the concept of vulnerability.
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Kate McCombs and Ethlyn Williams
Although important for organizational performance, much is still unknown about the relationship between employee well-being and transformational leadership. The authors answer…
Abstract
Purpose
Although important for organizational performance, much is still unknown about the relationship between employee well-being and transformational leadership. The authors answer calls to consider the relationship (1) in an extreme context (i.e. coronavirus pandemic), (2) at the dimension level and (3) differences that exist depending on the employee's gender.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employed a two-wave study with data collected from 212 working individuals. Respondents reported their level of COVID-19 anxiety and leadership experiences at time 1 starting at the height of the pandemic and three weeks later reported well-being.
Findings
The authors found COVID-19 anxiety weakened the influence of transformational leadership style on well-being, and this was only the case for females. Further, the authors found that while the moderator of COVID-19 anxiety weakened the influence of core transformational leadership behaviors and intellectual stimulation on well-being, the more individualized and short-term focused transformational behaviors of individualized consideration and performance expectations proved to have resilient effects on well-being with no moderating effects. Looking at gender differences, the authors found that this was only the case for females.
Originality/value
The findings extend research by capturing an external shock concerning the coronavirus pandemic to better understand how transformational leadership style, its dimensions and employee gender, influence well-being. While the authors expected COVID-19 anxiety to weaken the positive effects of transformational leadership style on well-being, paradoxically the authors also expected differential effects when examining individual dimensions.
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Louise Gillies and Helen M. Burrows
Families conduct their affairs through processes that are built upon those of previous generations and also social capacities such as culture, class, oppression and poverty. The…
Abstract
Families conduct their affairs through processes that are built upon those of previous generations and also social capacities such as culture, class, oppression and poverty. The media has played a part in stereotyping the lower classes through their portrayal on the television programmes such as Benefits Street and Jeremy Kyle and tabloid newspaper stories. This chapter is a case study of two families who are at the opposing ends of the social scale, the Horrobin/Carter and Aldridge families. The two families were chosen due to them being linked by marriage in the younger generation. Through the use of genograms, we explore how the families differ in their attitudes towards relationships within their individual families, and also how they relate to each other as separate family groups. Despite the many differences, there are also a number of key similarities, particularly regarding the key females in the families, in terms of family background and snobbery. We also show that there is little family loyalty in the more privileged family and a power differential between the two families (oppressors vs. oppressed) in terms of the crimes committed.
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The emotional labor of headteachers and teachers is complex. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of the use of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence…
Abstract
Purpose
The emotional labor of headteachers and teachers is complex. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of the use of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence test (MSCEIT) (Mayer, Caruso & Salovey, 2000) when assessing the emotional intelligence of headteachers as part of an investigation which aimed to reveal the ways in which female secondary school leaders were emotionally intelligent and whether it was possible to test for emotional intelligence.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven female headteachers’ MSCEIT reports are investigated. Semi-structured interviews were held pre- and post-test to explore the headteachers’ emotional labor. In addition, teachers serving under the headteachers were interviewed.
Findings
The accuracy of the MSCEIT is questioned, rather than taking the results at face value, attention is given to its content, language and cultural differences. The MSCEIT originates from the USA and is used globally. The findings of this investigation suggest it is possible the MSCEIT represents a deficit model due to the test takers’ interpretation of nuanced language. The findings show a disparity in relation to MSCEIT scores and self-reported emotional responses.
Research limitations/implications
Although the sample size is small and therefore cannot claim generalization from the findings, the use of emotional intelligence tests should be used with caution. Emotional responses are best understood through life experience as the headteachers attach retrospective meaning to their leadership actions.
Originality/value
Headteachers’ work is multifaceted because emotion is integral to the processes of teaching and learning. The emotional labor of headteachers and teachers impacts and has relevance to their roles as educational landscapes continue to shift.
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The purpose of this paper is to argue that mainstream economic theory leads to a diminishment of human happiness and well-being. Alternatively, Buddhist wisdom, applied to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue that mainstream economic theory leads to a diminishment of human happiness and well-being. Alternatively, Buddhist wisdom, applied to economic decision making, offers the opportunity for a well-lived life of purpose and meaning.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper begins with an examination of the foundational elements of Buddhism and economics, then contrasts the paths (or models) constructed from these bases and the associated implications for happiness and well-being.
Findings
The assumptions of Buddhism and economics regarding incessant wants, method of analytical inquiry, assignation of primary agency, and promotion of individual freedom, all bear striking similarities. Yet, despite these commonalities, the paths they undertake could not be more different. Specifically, their views and beliefs regarding consumption, work, and self-interest lead to radically different implications for how to live a well-lived life and how to organize economic society.
Research limitations/implications
Business leaders should develop alternative business models that incorporate a broader range of values and ideals than those associated with traditional economic modeling. Explicit inclusion of a firm's social responsibilities can be implemented via social accounting procedures and its mission statement. Responding to consumer demand for goods that are produced fairly, humanely, and sustainably will allow firms to do well by doing good.
Originality/value
Significant and detrimental consequences arise from the adherence to the mainstream economic model. Buddhist wisdom, on the other hand, provides a path that offers an alternative vision of economic society, one that would likely lead to greater human fulfillment.
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It has been at least twenty years since I was first alerted to the notion that my interest in a research topic arises from my unconscious. More recently, feminist theorists have…
Abstract
It has been at least twenty years since I was first alerted to the notion that my interest in a research topic arises from my unconscious. More recently, feminist theorists have developed the insight by arguing that integration of experience is helpful in defining research questions, as a source of data, to test findings and, in the words of Jean Bethke Elshtain, in assisting them to be less removed from the ‘wellsprings’ of their own ‘thought and action’. My aim in this article is to reconnect my experience with constructions of teachers in Australian children’s literature and to explore ways in which they are imagined in the literature. In my initial foray into this topic, I used Maurice Saxby’s historical review of Australian children’s literature as a guide for data gathering. This linear, chronological approach, while probably a helpful place to start, is not one I can sustain with any passion. In this article, I am returning to my experience to find a starting point, acknowledging that history is a ‘process of intellectual production as well as discovery’
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