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Managers have a pressing need to contribute to profitability and an ethical responsibility to manage in ways that promote a sense of justice and fair play. But do these goals conflict with one another? More importantly, can managerial citizenship enhance firms’ financial success, and does its absence harm the bottom line? Answering these questions is crucial to understanding the future of work, given that pursuit of greater profits and productivity encourages employers to embrace neoliberal practices known to erode trust and reciprocity in work organizations. Survey data and ethnographic case studies have shown that managerial practices promoting organizational trust, reciprocity, and a sense of organizational justice generate worker satisfaction, commitment, and effort. Until now, however, sociologists have lacked data linking workers’ experiences to direct indicators of firm performance. Evaluating findings from survey research and a meta-analysis of 263 studies (involving nearly 1.4 million employees in 192 firms across 49 industries) conducted by Gallup, I demonstrate that managerial citizenship behaviors enhance growth, productivity, profitability, and earnings, while limiting costly problems such as absenteeism, turnover, accidents, defects, and theft. I conclude that managers have a fiscal responsibility as well as an ethical responsibility to adhere to behavioral norms promoting organizational trust, reciprocity, and justice.

This strategic commentary aims to examine the benefits and drawbacks of rigid frameworks versus flexible approaches to measuring employee engagement, arguing for a hybrid model that incorporates the best of both to better correspond with organisational subtleties and strategic goals.

This study compares the standardised, benchmarking capabilities of inflexible frameworks such as Gallup’s Q12 to the adaptability and customisation potential of flexible approaches. It emphasises the creation and implementation of a hybrid methodology that preserves the integrity of engagement measurement while also incorporating organisational-specific insights.

Despite their different benefits, rigid frameworks may neglect distinct organisational cultures, whereas completely flexible techniques may suffer with measuring consistency. A hybrid model, which combines core standardised questions and unique items, provides a balanced solution for improving the relevance, actionability and reliability of engagement data across dynamic organisational landscapes.

The discussion culminates with the proposal of a hybrid measurement strategy as a strategic innovation in human resource management. By combining scientific rigour and contextual sensitivity, this model provides a nuanced roadmap for organisations looking to thoroughly understand and effectively negotiate the complexity of employee engagement in an evolving work environment.

This chapter assesses authentic leadership and finds it to be highly egalitarian, meaning that it may be unattractive to managers accustomed to a hierarchical style. In general, management may lack knowledge about leadership theory relevant to both hierarchy and egality, the latter of which many younger employees prefer. Such a disconnect between management and follower preferences may explain two concerning findings by Gallup regarding global employee engagement: levels have remained low for nearly a decade, and companies resist Gallup's recommended cultural change. The author's ComPILAR model of group dynamics, which incorporates both egalitarian and hierarchical extremes offers potential hierarchical additions to authentic leadership, which may boost the ability of authentic leadership to guide leaders in hierarchical teams and organisations.

In higher education, blended learning is already strongly established. The e-courses vary in their structure, assignments, prompt examinations, interaction between students and teachers, etc. Such aspects may influence the students’ perception of usefulness of blended learning. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors which influence that feeling and to look for possible differences in perception by different subgroups of students.

Students in the survey evaluated 13 aspects of e-courses in which they were enrolled. From enrolment documents, additional demographic data were collected (gender, high-school grade, study programme, etc.). A multiple linear regression was used with perceived usefulness as the response variable and the 12 other e-course aspects as predictors. Further, the same regression analysis was performed on different subgroups of students based on demographical data.

The empirical results showed that the general impression regarding the e-courses, their consistency with the face-to-face teaching and the teachers’ responsiveness had a significant influence on the students’ perception of the usefulness of e-courses. Further analysis based on demographic data revealed several subgroups of students where the perception of usefulness was influenced by different aspects. The teachers’ feedback and supplementing the tutorial play an important role in higher years of study, while the general impression loses its influence.

The paper is the first to explore the importance of demographic determinants of perceived usefulness of e-learning tools in EAPAA (European Association of Public Administration Accreditation)-accredited undergraduate public administration programmes.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the capabilities of the generalized finite element method (GFEM) under the context of the geometrically nonlinear analysis. The effect of large displacements and deformations, typical of such analysis, induces a significant distortion of the element mesh, penalizing the quality of the standard finite element method approximation. The main concern here is to identify how the enrichment strategy from GFEM, that usually makes this method less susceptible to the mesh distortion, may be used under the total and updated Lagrangian formulations.

An existing computational environment that allows linear and nonlinear analysis, has been used to implement the analysis with geometric nonlinearity by GFEM, using different polynomial enrichments.

The geometrically nonlinear analysis using total and updated Lagrangian formulations are considered in GFEM. Classical problems are numerically simulated and the accuracy and robustness of the GFEM are highlighted.

This study shows a novel study about GFEM analysis using a complete polynomial space to enrich the approximation of the geometrically nonlinear analysis adopting the total and updated Lagrangian formulations. This strategy guarantees the good precision of the analysis for higher level of mesh distortion in the case of the total Lagrangian formulation. On the other hand, in the updated Lagrangian approach, the need of updating the degrees of freedom during the incremental and iterative solution are for the first time identified and discussed here.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of oil price shocks on capital spending in relation to the following firm characteristics: firm size, debt ratio, growth prospects, earnings and key sectors of the oil and gas industry.

To examine the impact of oil price changes on each of the sample firm’s capital spending, the authors utilize a vector autoregressive (VAR) framework which requires that the oil price and the firm’s capital spending series are stationary. The authors employ the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) procedure to test if these series are stationary in levels or in their first difference. Since the results show that the ADF values for adjusted oil price and for all but one capital spending series are stationary, the authors perform VAR analysis using the level data.

The impulse response results show that there is a positive relationship between oil price shocks and capital spending by the oil and gas firms. In other words, the oil and gas firms reduce (increase) capital spending when oil prices fall (rise). The responses are highest around q3. Additionally, the responses are stronger for the exploration and production, drilling, and oil services firms, and weaker for the refining firms (oil majors). Also, the small, low-earnings and low p/e firms exhibit the highest responses to oil price shocks. The impulse response results for the debt quartiles are inconclusive.

The findings shed light into the impact of oil price shocks on capital spending in relation to firm characteristics. The impulse response results that capital spending of the E&P, drilling and oil services firms, and the small firms in general, have a higher positive impact of oil shocks lend support to the argument that these firms more likely reduce capital spending because of financial constraints in the capital markets. A higher positive response by the low return on assets firms indicates that firms with low earnings and cash flow problems are more likely to reduce their capital spending when oil price drops. With regard to growth prospects, it appears that shocks in oil price dampen the outlook for the low p/e firms, which leads to a cut in their capital spending. On the other hand, the high p/e firms seem to rely more on their growth prospects and downplay the adverse impact of oil price shocks.

Unlike previous studies in this area, the study focuses on firm-level data in detail, uses quarterly data and uses firm-specific variables that explain impact of oil price shocks on capital spending in oil and gas industry.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceived association between audit rotation (AR) and audit quality (AQ) using respondents from a sample of audit firms operating in a developing economy, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The paper addresses the following research question: How do UAE auditors perceive the association between various forms of AR and AQ?

The authors collected perception data from a sample of UAE auditors using a questionnaire, and applied several non-parametric statistical techniques to analyze the data, and to answer five exploratory research questions on the perceived association between various forms of AR and AQ.

The findings suggest that the UAE auditors in our sample did not perceive the association between individual types of AR and AQ as significantly different, and that AR in general is essential for AQ improvement and enhances trust in the audit process. Similarly, we find more support for the perception that medium audit tenure is associated with a lower impairment effect on auditor independence. Furthermore, we find no significant differences in perception based on gender, but younger/less experienced professionals and professionals in self-employed practices and small audit firms (compared to other demographics) significantly perceived AR enforceability and AT length to be associated with AQ. Our findings help to enrich our understanding of the perceived AR-AQ association in a relatively new context and less researched audit area in a developing economy.

Although lively debates on the question of AR and AQ within the accounting, finance, investment professions and in the financial media continue, there has been relatively limited knowledge and a dearth of empirical studies on this question in most developing economies. Being the first attempt in the country – the UAE, this study contributes towards addressing this gap in empirical knowledge by exploring the perceived association between various forms of AR and AQ in a developing economy.

This study aims to identify the challenges facing innovative startups in the construction environment, recommending possible self-help measures and society support.

A comprehensive literature survey informed a questionnaire survey on built environment startups in Hong Kong, followed by a statistical analysis and supplemented by written views of respondents. Validation by experts confirms the survey results.

Triangulated findings highlight the problems of conservative policies, investors’ preference on short payback periods, price competition, high operation cost and a lack of promotion channels. The firm’s size and its age differentiate its networking and fund-raising capabilities.

While the survey samples cover the spread of startups in Hong Kong’s construction/real estate industries well, the number is still limited because the city is relatively compact. The barriers and solutions may be particularly relevant to the built environment there, but also worth noting elsewhere.

Built environment startups are emerging and their path of development is obscured by industry barriers. While the findings reflect the current situation in Hong Kong, which is a metropolitan city with a vibrant construction market, government policies may present a varying factor in different economies. Conservatism in the construction industry may also be a hindrance, but gradual signs of improvements are seen.

The recommendations provided may help mitigate the problems of startup growth. They also provide insights into the construction “startup eco-system” worth the attention of policy makers and project managers, who may make better use of the innovative technology and services of built environment startups if the difficulties are alleviated.

Employee engagement is a workplace approach resulting in the right conditions for all members of an organisation to give their best each day. The result is that the staff is committed to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organisational success, with an enhanced sense of their own well-being. Although employee engagement as a practice is evidenced as bringing improved productivity to small businesses, and while 87% of the UK small enterprises claim that they are taking active steps to improve employee engagement, only 12% of such businesses list it as a business priority.

In a smaller organisation, it is easier for leaders to be involved in driving forward and measuring planned actions to improve employee engagement. According to the consulting firm Aon Hewitt (2015), there are six major categories for drivers of employee engagement: (1) The work people do; (2) The people they work with; (3) Opportunities; (4) Total rewards; (5) Company practices; and (6) Quality of life.

The focus of this chapter is to recommend how small businesses can drive employee engagement using the six drivers of engagement recommended by Aon Hewitt, and improve levels of productivity in the firm.

The purpose of this paper is to know how do early-phase planning of real estate (RE) and facilities management (FM) create value for owners and users of commercial and public sector buildings.

The data were collected in Norway in 2015 through a national online survey (N = 837). The sample gives a good picture of Norwegian owners’ and even users on tactical-level (customer) perspectives on RE and FM. The data have been analysed through descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The hypotheses have been tested through analyses of correlations and ordinary least square (OLS) linear regressions.

Exploratory factor analysis made it possible to establish seven composite variables (constructs). Based on these seven constructs, six hypotheses were derived and tested. Obstacles and financials have no significant effect on buildings’ perceived usability. The most important factors during early-phase planning that influence buildings’ perceived usability and lifetime value creation are measures promoting environment and life-cycle costs (LCC), FM, adaptability and image.

Further empirical and preferably, comparative studies are needed to establish whether the findings can be generalized. The study has shown that a building’s usability and lifetime value creation is largely determined by decisions made during early phase planning.

Well-founded early-phase planning of RE and FM may actually provide very high return on the investments and significantly improve the buildings’ lifetime value creation for owners and users. Early-phase planning is also of great importance both for buildings’ physical design, as well as for successful FM during the buildings’ use phase, and may prevent irreversible blunders.

This is a large N empirical study in Norway. The findings indicate what owner and users of buildings should emphasize during early phase planning.