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1 – 10 of over 75000The computer systems developed during the 1960s and 1970s made very little impact on management decision. Management Information System design was constrained by three factors …
Abstract
The computer systems developed during the 1960s and 1970s made very little impact on management decision. Management Information System design was constrained by three factors — the technology was large‐scale and inevitably centralised and controlled by data processing staff; the systems were designed by specialist staff who rarely understood the business requirements; and managers themselves had little knowledge or “hands‐on” experience of computers. In the 1980s a greater awareness of the need for planning and better use of personnel information, coupled with the development of distributed processing systems, has presented personnel management with opportunities to use computing technology as a means of increasing the professionalism of practising personnel managers. Effective use will only occur if the implementation of technology is matched by appraisal of skills and organisation within personnel departments. Staff will need a minimum level of computing expertise and some managers will need skills in modelling, particularly financial modelling. The relationship between personnel and data processing needs careful redefining to build a link between the two and data processing staff need to design and communicate an end‐user strategy.
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Weiguang Jiang, Lieyun Ding and Cheng Zhou
Construction safety has been a long-term problem in the development of the construction industry. An increasing number of smart construction sites have been designed using…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction safety has been a long-term problem in the development of the construction industry. An increasing number of smart construction sites have been designed using different techniques to reduce injuries caused by construction accidents and achieve proactive risk control. However, comprehensive smart construction site safety management solutions and applications have yet to be developed. Thus, this study proposes a smart construction site framework for safety management.
Design/methodology/approach
A safety management system based on a cyber-physical system is proposed. The system establishes risk data synchronization mapping between the virtual construction and physical construction sites through scene reconstruction design, data awareness, data communication and data processing modules. Personnel, mechanical and other risks on site will be warned and controlled.
Findings
The results of the case study have proved the management benefits of the system. On-site workers gradually realized that they should enter the construction site based on the standard process. And the number of people close to the construction hazard areas decreased.
Research limitations/implications
There are some limitations in the technology of smart construction site. The modeling speed can be faster, the data collection can be timelier, and the identification of unsafe behavior can be integrated into the system. Construction quality and efficiency issues in a virtual construction site will also be solved in further research.
Practical implications
In this paper, this system is actually applied in the mega project management process. More practical projects can use the management ideas and method of this paper to ensure on-site safety.
Originality/value
This study is among the first attempts to build a complete smart construction site based on CPS and apply it in practice. Personnel, mechanical, components, environment information will be displayed on the virtual construction site. It will greatly promote the development of the intellectualized construction industry in the future.
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In many organisations, changes in organisationalstructure and the introduction of technology areoccurring simultaneously, impacting uponpersonnel in many different ways. The…
Abstract
In many organisations, changes in organisational structure and the introduction of technology are occurring simultaneously, impacting upon personnel in many different ways. The process of such changes, how they interrelate and how they affect personnel are discussed, through examining some of the findings of a recent research project. It is argued that the interrelating developments of decentralisation, line management access to the personnel database and the use of IT not only affects the relationship of the personnel function to the line but also strengthens the position of management in relation to the workforce. Benefits brought by the introduction of computerised personnel systems are related to organisational culture, i.e. the existing status of the personnel function within the organisation and the structure of the organisation, rather than the extent of the use of computers within it.
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On the basis of a review of the literature in human resourceinformation systems (HRIS) and a diagnosis of some computerizedplacement systems used by large US corporations…
Abstract
On the basis of a review of the literature in human resource information systems (HRIS) and a diagnosis of some computerized placement systems used by large US corporations, identifies major problems in using computerized HRIS for internal staffing. Proposes a self‐balancing staffing system, built around a rational screening procedure. This system, although it may be altered to fit various circumstances, can serve at least three purposes: (1) to fill an opening resulting from termination of the incumbent; (2) to update the candidate search criteria on the basis of changes in job definitions; and (3) to pursue system‐wide optimization by periodically checking the fit between jobs and persons. Finally, explores some practical issues about how to integrate such an automated staffing system with manual ones and discusses the implications for future research.
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The purpose of this study was to establish the current skills base of librarians working in research data management services in academic and research libraries in South Africa…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to establish the current skills base of librarians working in research data management services in academic and research libraries in South Africa. The purpose was also to determine the relevance of courses and programmes that are currently being offered by library and information studies programmes in response to the needs of research data management services and make recommendations on curriculum improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
About 13 institutions which were considered early adopters of research data management services were identified as participants in an online survey. In addition, a review of Web pages of existing library and information studies schools was carried to establish courses that would support research data management services. Data collected through the two approaches were analysed and presented quantitatively and qualitatively.
Findings
The findings reveal an environment in a developmental stage, with limited skilled personnel to run research data management services. The findings also show an absence of specific data librarianship courses within existing library and information studies programmes and a very limited scope for the full range of data management courses within professional development programmes.
Originality/value
The paper provides information on approaches to further develop existing curriculum and contribute to the data management needs and support governments, funders and publishers' requirements for the discoverability and re-use of research data across research domains.
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Sandra Groeneveld, Kea Tijdens and Daphne van Kleef
The purpose of this paper is to examine gender differences in promotion probabilities of the academic staff of a large university in The Netherlands, taking into account the sex…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine gender differences in promotion probabilities of the academic staff of a large university in The Netherlands, taking into account the sex segregated context of the faculty.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses records of the university's personnel information system from 1990 to 2006, covering the data of 1,792 employees in the academic ranks who have entered since 1990. Cox regression models are used to test three hypotheses.
Findings
The findings show that women have lower promotion probabilities than men. The gender differences are primarily explained by differences in years of service and external mobility, and not by the sex segregated context of the faculty. A higher share of women decreases the odds of being promoted for both men and women. Gender differences in working hours do not explain the gender differences in promotion probabilities.
Originality/value
The paper adds to the existing literature because event history analyses have hardly been applied to personnel records for investigating the impact of the sex segregated context on promotion probabilities.
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Sanna Pauliina Ryynänen and Risto Harisalo
The patient complaint is one of the main procedures of exercising patient’s rights in the Finnish health care system. Such complaints typically concern the quality of care and/or…
Abstract
Purpose
The patient complaint is one of the main procedures of exercising patient’s rights in the Finnish health care system. Such complaints typically concern the quality of care and/or patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to examine the types of patient complaints received by a specialized medical care organization and the kinds of responses given by the organization’s personnel. The organization’s strategy and good governance principles provide the framework for understanding the organization’s action.
Design/methodology/approach
This study’s data comprise patient complaints and the responses from personnel of a specialized medical care organization from the start of 2012 to the end of January 2014. The data were analyzed through qualitative data analysis.
Findings
The results show many unwanted grievances, but also reveal the procedures employed to improve health care processes. The results are related to patients’ care experiences, provision of information, personnel’s professional skills and the approach to patient complaints handling. The integrative result of the analysis was to find consensus between the patients’ expectations and personnel’s evaluation of patients’ needs.
Originality/value
Few prior studies have examined patient complaints related to both strategy and good governance. Patient complaints were found to have several confluences with an organization’s strategic goals, objectives and good governance principles. The study recommends further research on personnel procedures for patient complaints handling, with a view to influencing strategic planning and implementation of strategies of organizations.
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Prominent figures in the Information Systems (IS) industry have been propagating the need to integrate the information systems plan of a company with its strategic business plan…
Abstract
Prominent figures in the Information Systems (IS) industry have been propagating the need to integrate the information systems plan of a company with its strategic business plan. They have urged the executive level management to take an active part in charting the role of Information Technology (IT) in their organisation's present and future operations. The primary reason for this has been that the cost of data processing and communications has reached a critical level. A multi‐million pound operation cannot be run without executive systems direction and control. Without a common source, planning, implementation and measurement and control between various levels of management will be meaningless. Despite this, the management approach remains largely tactical, expense‐oriented and short‐sighted. Structures for strategic management of information systems and associated facilities have not yet clearly emerged. In an information systems environment, strategy implies plans, policies and commitment to use IT for exploiting business opportunities in order to achieve the corporate goals of an organisation. Because corporate objectives data, financial and budget data, resource usage, together with service and installations inventory data and personnel data already exist in computer‐readable form for large installations, this makes it easier to implement a computer‐based strategic installation management system.
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Lisa Wake and Margaret Leighton
The purpose of this paper is to determine if neurolinguistic programming (NLP) tools and techniques were effective in alleviating the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine if neurolinguistic programming (NLP) tools and techniques were effective in alleviating the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in clients from the Military and Emergency Services.
Design/methodology/approach
This project ran at the “Healing the Wounds” charity in Bridgend. All clients were opportunistic, having self-referred to a charity specifically set up to support Veterans from the Armed Forces. In total, 29 clients from an initial cohort of 106 clients provided pre and post data using Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and the NLP Wheel of Life scale. Interventions included a range of NLP techniques, addressing self-reported symptoms.
Findings
Differences between DASS scores before and after treatment are very highly significant. t-test analysis infers that these results are indicative of the overall response from the clients in this study.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the study include: client group; significant levels of incomplete data for the total study group; therapist effect and therapist training; treatment methodology.
Originality/value
Data suggest that NLP has potential as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with a self-report of PTSD. An observation is proposed that these candidates experience an improvement in their emotional state when NLP is used which is statistically significant (p<0.001) both for overall DASS score averages and also for each of the three DASS categories (Depression, Anxiety and Stress). Stress was the highest scoring category prior to treatment for these clients; the reduction in their stress symptoms contributed most substantially to the overall reduction in average DASS score, indicating an improvement in their emotional state.
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– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors which contribute to, or mitigate against, both the likelihood and timing of the onset of police misconduct.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors which contribute to, or mitigate against, both the likelihood and timing of the onset of police misconduct.
Design/methodology/approach
Research hypotheses were tested examining the first personnel complaint filed against officers, using both all complaints and only substantiated complaints, from data collected on a large cohort of officers followed over a substantial portion of their careers.
Findings
Black officers and those exhibiting poor academy performance were at an increased likelihood of onset when compared to white and Hispanic officers and those who did better in the academy, while having a college degree lowered this likelihood. Officers whose first complaints were filed by citizens, and officers working certain patrol zones had quicker onset times. Those officers whose first complaint was related to service, as well as officers with prior military service, had longer onset times.
Research limitations/implications
This study relies on personnel complaints to measure onset, was conducted in a very large police department, and does not include arrest data on officers over time.
Practical implications
Onset occurs early in officers’ careers. Some factors are consistent across complaint types, while others depend on whether all complaints or only substantiated complaints are used to measure onset, which suggests that future research should consider carefully which measure they employ.
Originality/value
This study employs a longitudinal data set which follows a cohort of officers from the start of their careers, and is thus ideal for exploring the onset of misconduct.
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