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1 – 10 of over 2000This study examined differences in the Meaning of Work among three levels in Israeli organizations: employees, supervisors, and managers. The Meaning of Work has been conceptually…
Abstract
This study examined differences in the Meaning of Work among three levels in Israeli organizations: employees, supervisors, and managers. The Meaning of Work has been conceptually defined in terms of five major domains: work centrality, societal norms about working, valued work outcomes, work goals, and work role identification. Autonomy emerged as the single most important variable to distinguish among organizational levels. Additional variables found to be related to people's position in the organization were job satisfaction, educational level, gender, and economic orientation. These findings were discussed and suggestions were made regarding implications for organizations.
Moshe Sharabi, Brian Polin and Galit Yanay-Ventura
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of social and economic changes, particularly the transition from a collectivistic to an individualistic society, on the meaning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of social and economic changes, particularly the transition from a collectivistic to an individualistic society, on the meaning of work (MOW) in Israel.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire probing the MOW domains (economic orientation, intrinsic orientation, interpersonal relations, entitlement and obligation norms and job satisfaction) was conducted on a representative sample of the Israeli labor force in 1981 (n=973) and 2006 (n=898).
Findings
A comparison between the results of the 1981 and 2006 surveys shows a significant increase in economic and intrinsic orientation, and a significant decrease in interpersonal relations orientation, job satisfaction and obligation and entitlement norms. Work centrality remained stable. The demographic factors, especially education, have some impact on the MOW domains.
Practical implications
The transformation of work values reflects the changes in employees’ expectations and needs. Therefore, organizations are compelled to find new material and non-material reward systems and methods to maintain employee commitment, motivation and satisfaction. Various implications for organizations and management are discussed.
Originality/value
This cross-sectional study explores how the combination of economic and social changes is reflected in employees’ job satisfaction and other work values. Furthermore, the study examines the impact of the main demographic factors on the MOW and offers suggestions to gain employees loyalty and commitment based on all the findings.
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Glenn W. Harrison and E. Elisabet Rutström
We review the experimental evidence on risk aversion in controlled laboratory settings. We review the strengths and weaknesses of alternative elicitation procedures, the strengths…
Abstract
We review the experimental evidence on risk aversion in controlled laboratory settings. We review the strengths and weaknesses of alternative elicitation procedures, the strengths and weaknesses of alternative estimation procedures, and finally the effect of controlling for risk attitudes on inferences in experiments.
Ahmad B Hassanat and Ghada Awad Al tarawneh
This paper aims to present a new Islamic product called gambling-free lottery, which is inspired by ideas of Musharakah, Takaful and Al-qard Al-hasan, where the winner of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a new Islamic product called gambling-free lottery, which is inspired by ideas of Musharakah, Takaful and Al-qard Al-hasan, where the winner of the lottery receives the prize as an interest-free loan, and buyers of tickets get their money back after the winner’s repayment of the loan.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports the religious opinions of three Islamic scholars who were interviewed for the purpose of this study. The results of a questionnaire to survey the mood of 430 persons about the new product are also reported.
Findings
The paper concludes that although the proposed product is still at an exploratory stage and not a definitive product acceptable to all Muslim society, it could be a successful Islamic financial product, provided that it was put into practice with some modifications to accommodate all Islamic views.
Research limitations/implications
Main limitations of this study are the number of Islamic scholars interviewed does not reflect all the Islamic views regarding the new product and the lack of more information about the religious side of this type of product.
Originality/value
By introducing such a product, the gambling-free lottery could become not only a means of credit provision but also a new method of playing a “game” while lending money to someone who is more likely to be poor. Converting the poor into the rich could overcome many problems, particularly in poor countries.
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Charles E. Menifield, Joy Clay and Casey Lawhead
During the latter half of the 20th century many states began to use the lottery as an alternative method to increasing the amount of revenue within their general funds…
Abstract
During the latter half of the 20th century many states began to use the lottery as an alternative method to increasing the amount of revenue within their general funds. Apparently, this method was a lot more palatable than increasing taxes. Passing lottery legislation was easier in states where the funds were partially or wholly designated for primary, secondary, or higher education. The main purpose of this paper is to determine if the presence of a lottery impacts educational outcomes (high school graduations rates, bachelor degrees awarded, ACT, and SAT scores). Using state level data for the period 1985-2000 in a pooled time series regression model, the analysis indicates that the presence of a lottery is useful in models explaining educational outcomes.
Moshe Sharabi, Ilan Shdema and Oriana Abboud-Armaly
The Nonfinancial employment commitment (NFEC) of Muslims in general, and of Arab Muslims in particular, has not yet been studied. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to fill…
Abstract
Purpose
The Nonfinancial employment commitment (NFEC) of Muslims in general, and of Arab Muslims in particular, has not yet been studied. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to fill this gap by exploring the NFEC among Arab Muslims in Israel and comparing it to that of Jews in Israel.
Design/methodology/approach
The most common indicator of NFEC is the classic “Lottery Question,” which asked whether an individual would continue or stop working if they won a lottery or inherited a large sum of money. The sample included 215 Muslims and 898 Jews representing the Israeli labor force.
Findings
The findings reveal higher NFEC among Arab Muslims, particularly among women, compared to Jews. Muslims and Jews in urban areas have a lower NFEC then those who live in smaller localities. Among both Jews and Muslims, NFEC significantly increases with education level and income.
Social implications
NFEC is an important measure of the work ethic. A high NFEC of Arab Muslims, especially among women, reflects a high nonactualized potential for Western societies integrating Arab Muslim immigrants and refugees into the labor market.
Originality/value
The authors adapted the core–periphery model and found that it could explain the authors’ findings regarding NFEC differences among ethnoreligious groups in different residential areas. As the authors indicated before, it is the first time that NFEC of Arab Muslims has been studied.
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Staci M. Zavattaro and Daniel L. Fay
State-sponsored lotteries are adopted to raise funds for state programs. As such, there is a public mission within these organizations; however, most operate like private…
Abstract
State-sponsored lotteries are adopted to raise funds for state programs. As such, there is a public mission within these organizations; however, most operate like private companies, thus shifting the organizational ethos to profit maximization. Much research on social media focuses on federal and local government agencies. In this paper, we explore the role of social media in lottery program marketing. Through an analysis of random lotteries on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, we find: 1) a focus on aspirational marketing to promote the lottery as a business entity through its products and 2) increased dialogue with followers (i.e. customers) compared to other public agencies. This is a shift in how public organizations traditionally use the social tools, showing there can be a balance between marketing and dialogue.
It is now over 35 years since Professor Shackle published his masterly Expectation in Economics, therein formalising and synthesising his innovative work of the previous decade…
Abstract
It is now over 35 years since Professor Shackle published his masterly Expectation in Economics, therein formalising and synthesising his innovative work of the previous decade. Since then, though in varying degrees, controversy has raged over the relevance of his ideas for economic theory, and over the relevance of economic theory for economic life.
Divya Aggarwal, Uday Damodaran, Pitabas Mohanty and D. Israel
This study examines individual ambiguity attitudes alone and in groups by leveraging the descriptive model of anchoring and adjustment on decision-making under ambiguity. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines individual ambiguity attitudes alone and in groups by leveraging the descriptive model of anchoring and adjustment on decision-making under ambiguity. The study extends Ellsberg's probability ambiguity to outcome ambiguity and examines decisions made under both ambiguities, at different likelihood levels and under the domain of gains and losses.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology selected for this study is a two-stage within-subject lab experiment, with participants from different Indian universities. Each participant made 12 lottery decisions at the individual level and at individuals in the group level.
Findings
The results show that ambiguity attitudes are not universal in nature. Ambiguity seeking as a dominant choice was observed at both the individual level and at individual in the group level. However, the magnitude of ambiguity seeking or ambiguity aversion contingent upon the domain of gains and losses differed widely across the individual level and at individuals in the group level.
Research limitations/implications
The study enables to contribute toward giving a robust descriptive explanation for individual behavior in real-world applications of finance. It aims to provide direction for theoretical normative models to accommodate heterogeneity of ambiguity attitudes.
Originality/value
The study is novel as it examines a two-dimensional approach by representing ambiguity in probability and in outcomes. It also analyzes whether decisions under ambiguity vary when individuals make decisions alone and when they make it in groups.
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Andreea Molnar and Cristina Hava Muntean
Multimedia content that is accessible through mobile devices has a larger size than other types of content (e.g. text, images). This may lead to higher prices for accessing the…
Abstract
Purpose
Multimedia content that is accessible through mobile devices has a larger size than other types of content (e.g. text, images). This may lead to higher prices for accessing the content via mobile devices, as mobile operators are capping mobile data billing plans in an effort to increase their revenues and prevent congestion. This poses problems for the users that are not willing/do not afford to pay the required price but still want to use multimedia content through the mobile networks. A price reduction for the user, as well as minimising bandwidth consumption can be obtained as a trade-off in multimedia quality. However, as previous research shows, not all people are willing to trade-off quality for a lower price; therefore, there is no straightforward approach to this problem. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to present a model of user willingness to pay for multimedia content quality as a function of the user risk attitude with the aim to provide personalised content depending on the user willingness to trade-off price for multimedia content quality.
Design/methodology/approach
A user model was proposed based on a literature review and an existing data set. A stereotypical approach was used where users are divided in two groups: risk averse and risk seekers. An experimental study involving six scenarios was used to validate the findings.
Findings
The results of the evaluation show that for the proposed user risk model, risk seekers preferred to pay for multimedia quality, whereas risk adverse users preferred to switch to a lower multimedia quality when monetary cost is involved. However, when the mobile data billing plan had the bandwidth limited, rather than a higher price to be paid when the bundle quantity was exceeded, the risk averse people’s preference for a lower quality still holds, but it does not show that most of the risk seekers prefer to pay for the multimedia quality.
Research limitations/implications
This paper adds to the state of the art by providing a novel way to model the user preferences for multimedia quality based on their attitude towards risk, age, and gender.
Practical implications
Mobile data users, content providers (application service providers, over-the-top providers), mobile network operators (MNOs) and internet service providers (ISPs) could benefit from the results of this research. For mobile data users, the outcome of this research could be beneficial, as they can obtain personalised content based on their needs. From the content providers’ point of view, providing personalised content can lead to more satisfied users. It could also reduce the bandwidth consumption and the traffic to the server and/or proxy. Reducing the bandwidth consumption could lead to the possibility to acquire more customers and hence increase the revenues.
Originality/value
This is among the first studies to assess how the user preference towards multimedia quality if affected by the user attitude towards risk.
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