Search results
1 – 10 of over 4000Kathy O. Roper and Parminder Juneja
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and systematic understanding of a fundamental issue within open plan office designs: the sustainability of two extremely…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and systematic understanding of a fundamental issue within open plan office designs: the sustainability of two extremely contrasting requirements, concentration and collaboration, in the same workspace and work environment at a given time. A literature review is presented, along with initial suggestions for potential improvements in knowledge work organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
A thorough range of fields, including those outside the built environment, are investigated for their contribution to findings on distractions, especially auditory distractions and their impacts.
Findings
This research underpins the need for cost analysis of the impact that distractions have on knowledge workers. Provisions for appropriate and adaptable workspaces are needed to meet the dual needs of collaboration and concentration on complex tasks in order to maximize worker contribution and value.
Research limitations/implications
Additional field research on improved workspace is needed to confirm the hypothesis of savings from reduced or adaptation from auditory distractions.
Practical implications
As knowledge work grows, the evaluation of workplace architecture and design must include analysis of the needs of knowledge workers. The sole consideration of cost savings in real estate and facilities ignores the tremendous cost of human capital. This reduces overall value and profitability of the organizations choosing to ignore the workspace needs of their workers.
Originality/value
The paper provides a new and original review of multi‐disciplinary research on the impact of distractions, especially auditory distractions, providing the groundwork for analysis of total costs of auditory distractions in the workplace.
Details
Keywords
Mitchell L. Cunningham and Michael A. Regan
Purpose – Driver distraction and other forms of driver inattention remain significant road safety problems. The purpose of this chapter is to explore recent developments in…
Abstract
Purpose – Driver distraction and other forms of driver inattention remain significant road safety problems. The purpose of this chapter is to explore recent developments in theoretical and empirical research on driver distraction and inattention and provide the reader with a sense for, and understanding of, the key issues.
Methodology – Key references from the literature are reviewed and discussed.
Findings – First, we discuss one way of conceptualising the distinction between driver distraction and other forms of inattention, as well as the mechanisms which may underlie these forms of inattention. Second, we underscores how driver distraction may derive from a plethora of sources, and how the potential for performance degradation deriving from driver interaction with these sources may be moderated by a range of factors. Third, we review recent literature on the types of impairments in driving performance and safety associated with driver distraction. Fourth, we outline recent literature on driver distraction and inattention in the realm of highly automated vehicles that will drive the transport future. Finally, we discuss some promising strategies aimed at preventing and mitigating the impact of driver distraction.
Research implications – There are many gaps in the driver distraction literature that need to be addressed. In addition, further research needs to be undertaken to examine the role of driver distraction in the realm of highly automated vehicles.
Practical implications – The findings point towards of a range of injury prevention countermeasures that have potential to prevent and mitigate driver distraction.
Details
Keywords
Asad Javed, Samar Hayat Khan, Muhammad Aamir Shafique Khan and Hassan Ahmed Shah
The study was initiated to test the relationship of social media site addiction on librarians' performance. Furthermore, the study also tested the mediating role of task…
Abstract
Purpose
The study was initiated to test the relationship of social media site addiction on librarians' performance. Furthermore, the study also tested the mediating role of task distraction and moderating role of effective self-control in aforesaid relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
This was an empirical study, and data for the research were collected through a standardized questionnaire from 503 librarians who were having Facebook accounts and are questionnaire developed through “Google Forms” and the link of the questionnaire was distributed using Facebook groups. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, correlation, Baron and Kenny's approach, and Normal Test Theory.
Findings
Results indicate that social media addiction is an important factor for that is reducing librarians' performance. At the same time task distraction also adds to negative impact of social media addiction on librarians' performance. However, effective self-control can reduce the negative impact of social media addiction on their performance.
Research limitations/implications
This research has some important theoretical as well as practical implications for librarians, library management, and well as for policy makers and government.
Originality/value
Social media is commonly used for communication but when it becomes addiction, it can reduce the employees' performance. Most of existing researched focused on positive aspects of social media; only few researches explored the negative impacts of social media. The proposed relationship was never tested on librarians. This study filled this literature gap and proposed as well as empirically tested a model for evaluating negative impact of social media on librarians' performance.
Details
Keywords
Md Shamirul Islam, Muslim Amin, Feranita Feranita and Jonathan Winterton
This paper aims to examine the effect of high-involvement work systems (HIWSs) on completing work and avoiding distraction as two dimensions of presenteeism. It also investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effect of high-involvement work systems (HIWSs) on completing work and avoiding distraction as two dimensions of presenteeism. It also investigates competence as a mediator of the effect of HIWS on presenteeism.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 343 Bangladeshi bank employees using an online survey. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess the abovementioned linkages.
Findings
The findings demonstrate HIWS directly avoid distraction but do not significantly impact the completing work dimension of presenteeism. The findings also indicate that competence mediates the effect of HIWS on completing work but not on avoiding distraction.
Originality/value
Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study empirically demonstrates the contrasting role of HIWS in completing work and avoiding distraction related to presenteeism. It also provides a novel perspective on the unexplored mediating mechanism of competence on the relationship between HIWS and presenteeism and offers new directions for HIWS and presenteeism research.
Details
Keywords
Lindsay Portnoy and Talia Lemberger
Approaches to learning have the ability to influence knowledge acquisition, comprehension, retention and even motivation to learn. Previous work indicates that despite age…
Abstract
Purpose
Approaches to learning have the ability to influence knowledge acquisition, comprehension, retention and even motivation to learn. Previous work indicates that despite age, experience, or prior knowledge, students have a tendency to approach learning differently as a function of the presented content. The purpose of this study is to explore how context influences student approaches to learning science.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a question-asking methodology to evaluate if approaches to learning the same science content vary when presented within the context of Pure Science or the History of Science.
Findings
Results indicate that contextualizing the presentation of science content, shifts the approaches students take in attempting to learn science content as evidenced by the questions they ask to deepen their understanding. Additional variables of prior experience with each scientific concept, task persistence at a distractor task and later recall of the presented concepts were related to different inquiry strategies.
Research limitations/implications
Implications for instructional design and pedagogy are discussed.
Practical implications
The framework in which scientific information is presented may impact how students modify existing and create a new schema, impacting their beliefs about scientific knowledge and the way in which students question, hypothesize and engage within the domain of science.
Social implications
By studying the role of inquiry while students engage in science learning, the authors explore the role of context, content and knowledge retention.
Originality/value
The current study probes at the nature of student questioning and its reliance on the content, context and its relationship to outcome variables such as learning and, perhaps, even persistence as it relates to students’ prior knowledge within content areas which may, in turn, lead to varying levels of student self-efficacy.
Details
Keywords
Gautam Srivastava, Surajit Bag, Muhammad Sabbir Rahman, Jan Harm Christiaan Pretorius and Mohammad Osman Gani
The negative influence of gamification on online communities has received little attention in the available literature. The study examines the adverse effects of gamification…
Abstract
Purpose
The negative influence of gamification on online communities has received little attention in the available literature. The study examines the adverse effects of gamification during engaging in online communities.
Design/methodology/approach
Gap-spotting methods were used to develop the research questions, followed by model development using the social exchange and social-network theories. Data were collected from 429 samples. The study applied partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the research hypotheses followed by ANN application.
Findings
The study identified five factors related to gamification that have a significant adverse effect on the mental and emotional well-being of the users. Furthermore, the results of PLS-SEM were then compared through an artificial neural network (ANN) analytic process, revealing consistency for the model. This research presents a theoretical contribution by providing critical insights into online gamers' mental and emotional health. It implies that gamification can even bring mental and emotional disturbance. The resulting situation might lead to undesirable social consequences.
Practical implications
The result highlights the managerial and social relevance from the perspective of a developing country. As respondents are becoming more engrossed in online gaming, managers and decision-makers need to take preventive measures to overcome the dark side of online gaming.
Originality/value
The present study shows that the dark side of gamification has some adverse effects on human mental and emotional health. The study's findings can be used to improve gamification strategies while engaging online communities.
Details
Keywords
Behnam Forouhandeh, Rodney J. Clarke and Nina Louise Reynolds
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) as an underlying model to examine the similarities/differences between spoken and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) as an underlying model to examine the similarities/differences between spoken and written peer-to-peer (P2P) communication.
Design/methodology/approach
An embedded mixed methods experimental design with linguistically standardized experimental stimuli was used to expose the basic linguistic differences between P2P communications that can be attributed to communication medium (spoken/written) and product type (hedonic/utilitarian).
Findings
The findings show, empirically, that consumer’s spoken language is not linguistically equivalent to that of written language. This confirms that the capability of language to convey semantic meaning in spoken communication differs from written communication. This study extends the characteristics that differentiate hedonic from utilitarian products to include lexical density (i.e. hedonic) vs lexical sparsity (i.e. utilitarian).
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study are not wholly relevant to other forms of consumer communication (e.g. viral marketing). This research used a few SFL resources.
Practical implications
This research shows that marketers should ideally apply a semantic approach to the analysis of communications, given that communication meaning can vary across channels. Marketers may also want to focus on specific feedback channels (e.g. review site vs telephone) depending on the depth of product’s details that need to be captured. This study also offers metrics that advertisers could use to classify media and to characterize consumer segments.
Originality/value
This research shows the relevance of SFL for understanding P2P communications and has potential applications to other marketing communications.
Details
Keywords
Jennifer A. Griffith, Shane Connelly and Chase E. Thiel
In order to shed light on whether and how leaders should help manage group members' emotions related to intragroup conflict, the aim of this paper was to investigate the effects…
Abstract
Purpose
In order to shed light on whether and how leaders should help manage group members' emotions related to intragroup conflict, the aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of several outcomes associated with two cognitive emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal and distraction, in the presence of two distinct types of conflict, relationship or task-oriented.
Design/methodology/approach
A 2×3 between subjects' experimental design was employed to investigate the influence of intragroup conflict and emotion regulations strategies on individual-level discrete emotions and group processes and outcomes.
Findings
Results suggest that emotion regulation plays an important role in moderating the negative consequences associated with relationships conflict. Specifically, distraction served a critical function to those in the relationship conflict conditions such that both cohesion levels and task performance levels were elevated when group members used distraction as a means of regulating emotions.
Research limitations/implications
This study extends research in the area of emotion regulation into a group context and extends other research that suggests distraction may have potential as a means of regulating emotion. Long-term groups with experience in problem solving may have behaved in different ways than participants in this study.
Originality/value
Emotion regulation strategies have been studied only in an individual context. This study is particularly valuable in understanding how emotion regulation strategies work differentially when applied to multiple individuals in a shared setting. Additionally, it incorporates the use of distraction as a viable regulation strategy.
Details