Search results

1 – 10 of over 22000
Article
Publication date: 12 June 2023

John Muzam, Jacek Bendkowski, Pascal Muam Mah and Polycap Mudoh

The study discusses the importance of workplace learning in the current era of work and how organisations are shifting their focus toward employee learning and development. It…

574

Abstract

Purpose

The study discusses the importance of workplace learning in the current era of work and how organisations are shifting their focus toward employee learning and development. It highlights the need for employees to continuously up-skill themselves to keep up with the demand for skills. The purpose of this study is to introduce a modern approach to evaluating workplace learning to promote and enhance better performance within the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

It introduces a deep modern learning approach called “behavior-oriented drive and influential functions of formal and informal learning”. The study also develops the concept of the “Study, Plan, Do, Check, and Act” framework to simulate practise and theory within and outside of work to allow continuous improvement, learning new workplace tools, and bridging digital transformation challenges. The study highlights that workplace learning occurs in a variety of contexts and uses various tools, which poses challenges for the design and development of technology that supports and analyses workplace learning.

Findings

Based on behaviour-orientated drive and influential functions for formal and informal learning, a grade of 6.54% days was registered for formal learning tools and 4.89% days for informal learning tools. From the statistics in this study, This study concluded that informal learning tools contribute more to the development of the workplace than formal learning. In informal learning, employees act autonomously at their own will and pace to obtain the required knowledge. The time to acquire knowledge through informal learning tools is shorter than in formal learning. Future relevant research should review more learning tools for formal and informal learning.

Practical implications

Modern workplace learning is a key tool for organisations to gain a competitive advantage. Learning based on formal training and development programs, informal learning and knowledge sharing influence the development of human capital resources.

Originality/value

The study combines social science and engineering approaches to enable non-engineers to pioneer execution of tasks and examine their performance based on the approach detailed in the results, methodology and discussion sections. It contributes to the field of learning organisations and organisational learning by exploring the learning processes of modern professionals. By investigating the learning practices and experiences of knowledge workers, this study seeks to identify the factors that promote or learn and the impact of learning on the workplace.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2012

Thadsin Khamkanya, George Heaney and Stanley McGreal

The office is considered as a strategic resource that can support knowledge‐based organisations to gain competitive advantage and operational efficiency. Although the modern

1184

Abstract

Purpose

The office is considered as a strategic resource that can support knowledge‐based organisations to gain competitive advantage and operational efficiency. Although the modern scholar emphasises the role of user involvement in workplace design and management, there is little evidence showing how it can be linked to occupancy cost performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate benefits of a user‐centric workplace practice by focusing on working time and space utilisation practice of office users.

Design/methodology/approach

A scenario‐based approach was designed to analyse office occupancy cost performance. A questionnaire survey was conducted from a number of UK‐based offices to create three workspace utilisation scenarios, namely, existing, property‐centric and user‐centric. Key comparison criteria include potential areas of savings, potential total cost savings and cost saving per person.

Findings

It was found that a user‐centric approach reflects an opportunity to save annual occupancy costs in terms of total costs and cost per person where users indicated how they utilised working time and space. In return, the organisations can gain more productivity from office users who are likely to perform better when they can work in the preferred workplace practice.

Practical implications

By adopting this approach, organisations can understand the occupancy characteristics of the offices from multi perspectives, leading to better management in office premises.

Originality/value

This paper is concerned with the analysis of how to achieve higher office efficiency by focusing on office user's working time and space utilisation practice.

Details

Property Management, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2022

Naval Garg, Sarika Kumari and B.K. Punia

The study explores the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress among university teachers. It also investigates the mediating effect of constructive deviance…

Abstract

Purpose

The study explores the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress among university teachers. It also investigates the mediating effect of constructive deviance amid the association between workplace spirituality and stress among Indian university teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

The association between spirituality and stress is studied using correlation and multiple regression. The mediating effect of constructive deviance is examined using the Sobel test and bootstrapping estimates using Hayes' PROCESS macro. The hierarchical regression is used to report direct and indirect effects.

Findings

Findings reveal a significant negative association between the six dimensions of workplace spirituality and stress. The results also concluded the mediation effect of constructive deviance, which means workplace spirituality promotes constructive deviance that influences educators' stress levels.

Originality/value

The study is based on primary data collected by the author. It is one of the first explorations of the mediating effect of constructive deviance in the relationship of six dimensions of workplace spirituality and work stress among teachers.

Details

South Asian Journal of Business Studies, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-628X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2020

Anubhuti Saxena, Naval Garg, B.K. Punia and Asha Prasad

The primary objective of the present study is to explore the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress among offshore and onshore employees of the Indian oil and…

1198

Abstract

Purpose

The primary objective of the present study is to explore the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress among offshore and onshore employees of the Indian oil and gas industry. The present study also tends to study the difference in the stress level of offshore and onshore employees of the Oil and Gas Industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The size of the sample for the present study was 202 respondents. It includes 128 onshore employees and 74 offshore employees of oil and gas companies. Respondents were mainly managers and supervisors working in various departments of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Cairn India, Reliance India Ltd (RIL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Indian Oil and Gas Ltd (IOCL). Since the different level of stress is experienced by employees at different stages of the organizational structure, thus study selected population comprising of managers and supervisors since they are believed to face similar work stressors. A variety of statistical tools like mean, t-test, correlation and multi-regression is used for the analysis of collected data.

Findings

Results show that all six dimensions of workplace spirituality are significantly negatively correlated with stress for onshore employees. However, the sense of community and gratitude are found insignificantly associated with stress for offshore employees. Stressful offshore conditions and excessive specialization might not allow offshore employees to cherish the community at the workplace and also the virtue of gratefulness. The offshore employees might have a certain level of gratitude and community system, but it is not sufficient for the employees to perceive a lower level of work relates to stress. The result gives the impression that the normal working conditions (onshore workplace) provide adequate opportunity to workplace spirituality to transcend its impact on work stress.

Originality/value

This is one of the pioneer studies that examined the role of workplace spirituality and stress in stress management of offshore and onshore employees of Indian Oil and gas companies.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 33 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2002

Linda Arnison and Peter Miller

While some modern organisations have established “virtual work teams”, which are said to be comprised of people who are geographically separated and who work across boundaries of…

6001

Abstract

While some modern organisations have established “virtual work teams”, which are said to be comprised of people who are geographically separated and who work across boundaries of space and time using computer driven communication technologies, it is also true that many organisations remain structured around conventional face‐to‐face teams. Increasingly, the conventional face‐to‐face team is endeavouring to increase its productivity by utilising some of the technology and characteristics of the virtual team. In fact, it may not be practical any longer to draw a distinction between conventional face‐to‐face teams and virtual teams, due to the invasive nature of technology throughout most modern organisations.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2012

Thadsin Khamkanya, George Heaney and Stanley McGreal

Workplace environments and user satisfaction assessment have been recognised as a key research area for improving knowledge‐intense organisation performance through…

1889

Abstract

Purpose

Workplace environments and user satisfaction assessment have been recognised as a key research area for improving knowledge‐intense organisation performance through satisfaction‐based productivity. Previous research which focused on satisfaction levels of office users sometimes neglected the fact that not all office users perceived the importance of workplace environment factors (facilities services, design and layout, work and social interactions and distraction control) in a similar way. This suggests a gap in the knowledge base. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic assessment of workplace‐user satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Criteria decision analysis tools were reviewed and the use of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was justified as an appropriate method. A survey undertaken in offices across the UK, focused on levels of satisfaction and perceived productivity, in order to construct an AHP Satisfaction Index for comparing with the average score approach.

Findings

At the individual level, the AHP Satisfaction Index weighting workplace environment criteria yield a better explanation of workplace‐user satisfaction compared with the average score approach. At the global level, the AHP Satisfaction Index does not impact on the overall statistical behaviour when compared with the original score.

Originality/value

The AHP Satisfaction Index can be used as an alternative way to measure workplace‐user satisfaction levels in the office. This approach provides more comprehensive information when researchers and practitioners are interested in the impacts of workplace environment criteria.

Details

Journal of Corporate Real Estate, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-001X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 September 2009

Lennart Svensson, Hanne Randle and Maria Bennich

The purpose of this paper is to argue that both the supply‐based model and the demand‐based form of vocational education and training (VET) have their limitations and propose a…

2135

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that both the supply‐based model and the demand‐based form of vocational education and training (VET) have their limitations and propose a “third way” in which reflective learning in the workplace is a central ingredient.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected from several studies of VET programmes in Sweden based on individual and group interviews, a survey and continuous participation in developmental work. The paper uses an interactive research approach in the research design.

Findings

The paper proposes a “third way” that tries to overcome the deficiencies of both the supply‐ and demand‐based strategies for VET by developing a more equal balance in the relationship between the education and workplace systems. Collaboration and partnership between education providers and progressive workplaces are core elements.

Research limitations/implications

The paper tries to connect activities and changes at the organisational, inter‐organisational and institutional levels of the VET system. It is argued that changes at different levels are strongly interconnected and necessary to an understanding of the prerequisites for workplace learning. These vertical relationships form the main focus of future research.

Practical implications

It is argued that changes in the VET system should be initiated using a “bottom up” approach, start at the local level, and include change at all levels. The “bottom up” approach should include a combined employer, employee and service‐user perspective. It requires that learning issues are solved in a partnership that represents both the supply side of education and the demand side of working life.

Originality/value

Inter‐organisational relations need to be based on equal, mutual and trustful relationships between the education and workplace systems in order to support a sustainable change process.

Details

Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 33 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0590

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2016

Christa L Wilkin, Paul Fairlie and Souha R. Ezzedeen

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the pet-friendliness trend, because despite its growth, there has been little research on the benefits and potential risks…

6229

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the pet-friendliness trend, because despite its growth, there has been little research on the benefits and potential risks of pet-friendly workplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

A general review is provided on pet ownership figures in North America and the benefits and drawbacks of pet ownership. Pet-friendly policies and practices are described, highlighting their potentially positive impact on well-being and performance. Possible concerns with pet-friendly workplaces are examined. The paper offers recommendations for organizations that are potentially interested in becoming pet-friendly.

Findings

Many households in North America have pets that are considered genuine members of the family. As a result, workplaces are increasingly becoming “pet-friendly” by instituting policies that are sensitive to pet ownership. The scope of pet-friendly policies and practices ranges from simple to more complex measures. Adopting these measures can result in benefits that include enhanced attraction and recruitment, improved employee retention, enhanced employee health, increased employee productivity, and positive bottom-line results. But there are also concerns regarding health and safety, property damage, distractions, and religious preferences.

Practical implications

The range of pet-friendly measures could apply to any workplace that is interested in improving their efforts toward recruitment, retention, and productivity, among others.

Originality/value

This paper describes a range of efforts that workplaces can offer to enhance their employees’ work lives and is the first to provide a detailed account of the pet-friendliness trend.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 December 2022

Taran Kaur, Sanjeev Bansal and Priya Solomon

The purpose of this study is to describe the success story of a software company, Adobe, in redesigning the workplace environment from cubicles to a connected collaborative…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the success story of a software company, Adobe, in redesigning the workplace environment from cubicles to a connected collaborative workplace, which helped the organization optimize workplace usage. The goals were to design an innovative work environment to optimize the usage of the office portfolio, improve workplace service quality and infrastructure facilities of the portfolio, increase employee productivity, reduce technology costs, engage employees in a better way to enhance employee satisfaction, align workplace design with the brand, mobilize technology and enable a globalized workforce to facilitate higher productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory research design method was adopted using the purposive sampling technique to collect data through semi-structured interviews with a team of nine property professionals from the operations team responsible for workspace redesign at Adobe in India.

Findings

The main observations of the corporate real estate (CRE) manager were on what value parameters drive workplace redesign and how different software companies were creating strategies to manage workplace design or redesign change for optimal use of the organization portfolio. To discuss the CRE strategies of global software leaders, IBM and SAP were pointed out in this case.

Research limitations/implications

The number of interviews were limited. The related parameters for workplace transformation are not necessarily complete. However, the parameters are regarded to include the most important aspects of workplace redesign.

Practical implications

This study provides useful insights into how benchmarking in the workplace transformation function of the CRE industry can be applied to address portfolio-related challenges, divergent employee needs and improve workspace usability following energy-efficient policies. Practitioners can use this study as a guide to develop more effective workspace designs.

Social implications

This study may guide other firms on successful workspace design initiatives that may overcome many obstacles in the workplace transformation process to have their intended impact on workplace efficiency and employee satisfaction. The case can be used as an inspiration for developing specific user-focused innovative workspace design in practice.

Originality/value

Adopting the theoretical background of the person–environment fit theory, this study adds to the understanding of the operational model of a digitally connected workspace designed as per real estate needs and strategies to manage the CRE portfolio of the company.

Details

Facilities , vol. 41 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 July 2023

Naval Garg and Nidhi Sharma

This study evaluates gratitude's role in developing nonviolent work behaviour. It also examines the mediating effect of constructive deviance in the relationship between gratitude…

Abstract

Purpose

This study evaluates gratitude's role in developing nonviolent work behaviour. It also examines the mediating effect of constructive deviance in the relationship between gratitude and nonviolent work behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on responses from 424 working professionals engaged in different Indian industries: banks, insurance, IT, manufacturing, hotel and software. The respondents were approached both physically and electronically using convenience sampling. Also, the data were collected in three phases four months apart, utilizing the benefits of a repeated cross-sectional research design. Structural equation modelling examines the relationship between gratitude and nonviolent work behaviour. Model fit indices are also assessed for two models (without a mediator and with a mediator). Total, direct and indirect effects are calculated using AMOS 21 to study the mediating effect of constructive deviance.

Findings

Findings reveal that all three dimensions of gratitude (lack of sense of deprivation, simple appreciation and appreciation for others) are positively associated with nonviolent work behaviour. The results also confirm the mediating effect of constructive deviance.

Originality/value

This is one of the pioneer studies exploring gratitude's role in ensuring nonviolent work behaviour.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 22000