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Abstract

Details

The Positive Psychology of Laughter and Humour
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-835-5

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2024

Mendiola Teng-Calleja, Jaimee Felice Caringal-Go, Ma. Tonirose D. Mactal, Jonah L. Fabul, Rhoger Marvin H. Reyes, Ed Joseph Bulilan, Clarisse Aeaea M. Kilboy and Raquel Cementina-Olpoc

The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences and sense-making of middle managers in transitioning to and implementing hybrid work arrangements.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences and sense-making of middle managers in transitioning to and implementing hybrid work arrangements.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the lens and analytical procedures of interpretative phenomenological analysis, data were collected during the transition time at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic as many organizations were navigating the hybrid work setup. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 middle managers from various organizations in the Philippines that have been implementing a hybrid work arrangement for at least 3 months.

Findings

Findings illustrate the challenges experienced by the middle managers in facilitating a smooth transition to onsite work, managing adjustments on when and where to work and bridging the imperatives of top management as well as the preferences of team members (managing upward and downward). The results describe strategies used by middle managers to balance deliverables and employee needs while demonstrating compassionate leadership in relating with direct reports. The middle managers also engaged in self-care, used reframing and sought support from family and peers to cope with challenges.

Practical implications

The findings exemplified how the middle managers experience of transitioning to hybrid work reflect various contextual and cultural nuances. These external realities must be considered in providing support to these groups of employees particularly in developing leadership programs that addresses their social and emotional needs.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the limited research on middle managers' experiences in a hybrid work setup despite their critical role as change agents responsible for leading teams (van Dam et al., 2021).

Details

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

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 May 2024

Justus Mwemezi and Herman Mandari

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the adoption of big data analytics (BDA) in the Tanzania banking industry by investigating the influence of technological…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the adoption of big data analytics (BDA) in the Tanzania banking industry by investigating the influence of technological, environmental and organizational (TOE) factors while exploring the moderating role of perceived risk (PR).

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a qualitative research design, and the research instrument was developed using per-defined measurement items adopted from prior studies; the items were slightly adjusted to fit the current context. The questionnaires were distributed to top and middle managers in selected banks in Tanzania using the snowball sampling technique. Out of 360 received responses, 302 were considered complete and valid for data analysis. The study employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the developed conceptual framework.

Findings

Top management support and financial resources emerged as influential organizational factors, as did competition intensity for the environmental factors. Notably, bank size and perceived trends showed no significant impacts on BDA adoption. The study's novelty lies in revealing PR as a moderating factor, weakening the link between technological readiness, perceived usefulness and the intent to adopt BDA.

Originality/value

This study extends literature by extending the TOE model, through examining the moderating roles of PR on technological factors. Furthermore, the study provides useful managerial support for the adoption of BDA in banking in emerging economies.

Details

Journal of Electronic Business & Digital Economics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-4214

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2023

Elizabeth A. Cudney, Clair Reynolds Kueny and Susan L. Murray

As healthcare continues to become more expensive and complex, considering the voice of the patient in the design and operation of healthcare practices is important. Wound care and…

Abstract

Purpose

As healthcare continues to become more expensive and complex, considering the voice of the patient in the design and operation of healthcare practices is important. Wound care and rural healthcare scenarios pose additional complexities for providers and patients. This study sought to identify key determinants of patient service quality in wound care.

Design/methodology/approach

Patients at the wound care/ostomy clinic (WOC) in a rural hospital were surveyed using the Kano model. The Kano model enables the categorization of quality attributes based on the attributes' contribution to the subject's overall satisfaction (and dissatisfaction). Chi-square goodness-of-fit testing, multinomial analysis and power analysis were then used to determine the Kano categories for each satisfaction-related attribute.

Findings

The analyses resulted in 14 one-dimensional attributes and 3 indeterminable attributes. For the one-dimensional attributes, customer satisfaction is directly proportional to the level of performance for that attribute. The one-dimensional attributes included providing correct care on the first, provision of necessary supplies for care, appropriately qualified medical staff and confidence in care provided by medical staff, among others. Understanding the attributes important to the patient drive patient-centered care, which improves positive patient outcomes and recovery. These attributes can then be used by healthcare professionals to design patient-centric processes and services. This research provides a framework for incorporating the voice of the patient into healthcare services.

Research limitations/implications

While the research methodology can be used in other healthcare settings, the findings are not generalizable to other wound care clinics. This research was conducted in one small, rural hospital. In addition, the sample size was small due to the size of the wound clinic; therefore, an analysis of the differences between demographics could not be performed.

Practical implications

Considering the perspectives of rural wound care patients is important, as the patients are an under-served population with unique challenges related to patient care. The research findings detail rural patients' expectations during wound care treatments, which enable the clinic to focus on improving patient satisfaction. This research contributes to understanding the factors that are important to patient satisfaction in wound care. Further, the methodology presented can be applied to other healthcare settings.

Originality/value

While studies exist using the Kano model in healthcare and the literature is sparse in rural healthcare, this is the first case study using the Kano model in wound care to understand patient preferences.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Divya Surendran Nair and Seema Bhandare

The purpose of this study was to examine how well a strength-based program grounded in positive psychology principles can advance the practical critical thinking skills of those…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine how well a strength-based program grounded in positive psychology principles can advance the practical critical thinking skills of those pursuing the teacher training course.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a single-group pre-test post-test design with 35 teacher-trainees from the Bachelor of Education course. The two-and-a-half-week strength-based program used the values in action survey to identify strengths. Pre- and post-test scores, measured with the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z, underwent Statistical Package for Social Sciences analysis including paired samples t-test for subcomponent and overall composite analysis.

Findings

Analysis of the pre- and post-test scores demonstrated a statistical significance in the critical thinking scores obtained by the teacher-trainees. Post-test scores were consistently significant. Out of the elements of critical thinking, induction, meaning, observation and credibility were more prominent. Deduction and assumption identification were also having a significant effect.

Originality/value

Most critical thinking programs focus on evaluating specific teaching methods for improving critical thinking skills. In education, positive psychology studies often center on students’ well-being, attention spans and academic success, aligning with wellness programs. Despite the importance of strengths in positive psychology, there is a lack of research on using a strength-based approach to boost critical thinking skills. This study aims to enhance teacher-trainees’ critical thinking by leveraging their individual strengths, moving away from traditional instructional strategies.

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2023

Suhans Bansal, Naval Garg and Jagvinder Singh

This instant study explores the relationship between weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms in Indian college students. It further investigates the moderating effect of…

Abstract

Purpose

This instant study explores the relationship between weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms in Indian college students. It further investigates the moderating effect of gratitude on depressive symptoms occurring due to weight-based teasing.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is theoretically based on Fredrickson's broaden-and-built theory (2001). PROCESS macro in IBM SPSS v21 was used to analyze the effect of gratitude in moderation of weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms. The study used correlation and regression analysis to assess the relationship between weight-based teasing and depressive symptoms.

Findings

The study has confirmed that weight-based teasing results in the development of depressive symptoms in Indian college students. The study has also revealed that gratitude casts a significant moderating effect on depression due to weight-based teasing, i.e. a reduction in regression weight of weight-based teasing.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind in India and will significantly add to the national literature on teasing and depression. Further, the study will help stakeholders like educators and policymakers to formulate psychological programs based on positive psychology 2.0 and gratitude to combat the rising issue of body shaming in India.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 53 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 January 2024

Roosa Amanda Lambin and Milla Nyyssölä

Mainland Tanzania has seen two decades of significant social policy reforms and transformations in its social and economic structures, whilst the country continues to grapple with…

451

Abstract

Purpose

Mainland Tanzania has seen two decades of significant social policy reforms and transformations in its social and economic structures, whilst the country continues to grapple with persisting gender inequalities. This article examines Tanzania's social policy developments from a gender perspective. The authors analyse the level, reach and quality of social policy delivery to working-age women across the areas of health policy, social protection and employment policy during 2000–2021.

Design/methodology/approach

The article draws on qualitative research deploying the scoping review method. The data consist of diverse secondary materials, including academic publications, government policy documents, relevant statistics and other types of “grey” literature.

Findings

Tanzania has made significant advancements in the legal frameworks around welfare provision and has instituted increasingly gender-responsive government policy plans. The health and social protection sectors, in particular, have witnessed the introduction of large-scale measures expanding social policy implementation. However, social policy delivery remains two-tiered, with differences in provisions for women in the formal and informal sectors.

Originality/value

Social policy delivery and implementation have increased and diversified in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during the new millennium, with a growing integration of gender-specific policy objectives. However, limited social policy scholarship has focused on the gendered effects of broader social policy models in SSA. The article remedies the concomitant knowledge gaps by examining various social policies and their impacts on working-age women in Mainland Tanzania. The authors also engage with the theoretical welfare regime literature and present an analytical framework for gender-sensitive assessment of emerging social policy models in the Global South.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 44 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2023

Dorine Maurice Mattar, Joy Haddad and Celine Nammour

This study aims to assess the effect of job insecurity, customer incivility and work–life imbalance on Lebanese bank employee workplace well-being (EWW), while investigating the…

251

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the effect of job insecurity, customer incivility and work–life imbalance on Lebanese bank employee workplace well-being (EWW), while investigating the moderating role that positive and negative affect might have.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative data was collected from 202 respondents and analyzed using structural equation modeling system through IBM SPSS and AMOS.

Findings

Results revealed that each of the independent variables has a negative, statistically significant effect on Lebanese bank EWW. The positive affect and the negative one are shown to have a moderating effect that lessens and boosts, respectively, these negative effects.

Theoretical implications

The study adds to the literature on EWW while highlighting the high-power distance and collectivist society that the research took place in.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the sample size that was hoped to be larger, in addition to the self-reporting issue and what it entails in the data collection process.

Practical implications

The study has many practical implications, including the validation of a questionnaire in a developing Arab country, hence providing a reliable tool for researchers. HR specialists should lean toward applicants with positive affect, ensuring that their workplace is occupied by members with enhanced resilience. Furthermore, employers should support their employees’ professional growth, thus, boosting their employability during turmoil and consequently making them less vulnerable in times of economic recession.

Originality/value

The study’s unique context, depicted in the harsh economic and financial crisis, makes the findings on EWW of a high value.

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