Search results

Employee Assistance Programmes cannot function without supervisor co‐operation. Personal experiences of an EAP consultant in Australia and the USA are drawn on to describe case studies of success in developing supervisor and management commitment to EAP. Some of the techniques used are outlined: custom designing of supervisory training; identifying employee problems on the basis of job performance issues; consultation with supervisors prior to employee referrals to EAP, ongoing consultation as follow‐up; monitoring of employee performance on the job.

States there is a link between the level of employee satisfaction and business performance in many of the world's leading companies — therefore engaging employee's commitment is the priority for organizations that wish to achieve/sustain leadership in industries and markets. Research by ISR (International Survey Research) measured employee satisfaction among 175,000 workers in 70 UK organizations, to assess reactions to change, establish morale levels and other portent details. Concludes that change which affects staff morale can only have a detrimental effect on companies creating a vicious spiral.

The purpose of this research was to investigate a successful company, Atlas Container Corporation, that practices the values of egalitarianism, democracy, mutuality, and transparency. Moreover, this research sought to identify the human resource policies and practices (HRPP) used to reinforce these values and create a distinctive culture.

An ethnographic approach was used to produce a case study. Interviews, observations, archives, and documents were all part of the collected data.

The HRPP were distinctively different from the normal practices in the industry. Thus, these differences appeared to explain its success.

While this case study focused only on a single organization, it provides an illustration of the importance of reflecting the organization’s culture through its HRPP, and of how they could operate synergistically for optimal impact.

This case illustrated how a company following a set of HRPP contrary to industry norms could succeed. In addition, it pinpointed some areas where HRPP either reduced costs or made the company more responsive to customer needs.

This case illustrated that a company can be both humanistic and efficient. Moreover, it demonstrated a number of ways that the financial success of the company could be shared with its employees.

A review of the literature found that companies that practiced a progressive set of HRPP and made decisions based on democratic principles are rare. Thus, knowledge of such a company should be valuable.

Whether clients in need of counselling should seek this of their own volition or at the behest of employer/superior/other is debated. The approaches/attitudes which are possible from the standpoint of both counsellor and counselled can vary in the light of the client′s personality and the organisation′s culture/ideology. The scenario ranges from a self‐referred client in a person‐centred setting to a coerced client in an organisationally‐oriented ideology. The former appears to be the ideal subject for counselling, whilst the latter represents the antithesis of normal counselling. In between can fall many permutations of the balance, which renders the counsellor′s job difficult in trying to achieve an outcome acceptable to both organisation and client.

Reports the emergency stopgap measures undertaken by industry giant Tele Link to counteract downward market trends and the ensuing problems caused by its Efficiency Program not being managed effectively, resulting in lingering and negative impact on surviving employees’ behaviors and attitudes, demonstrated by decreases in productivity, motivation, emotional health, job satisfaction, and confidence in management, as well as increases in absenteeism. Also reports Tele Link was unprepared to handle the inevitable pre‐announcement rumor mill and was forced to present cutbacks prematurely, lengthening the period of time from announcement to implementation and fueling anxiety at the time. While Tele Link’s handling of the Efficiency Program is well rated it did concentrate, almost entirely, on the “during” phase, with no formal plans to help survivors mourn or adjust to new circumstances. Emphasizes that the power of informal communication, in this case the “rumor mill”, should not be underestimated, and management should not overestimate their own ability to control it.

Management consultants and the managers they advise face a growing dilemma: they have few skills and generally no training in identifying potentially violent employees, and yet, managers and their company are likely to be held liable for the violent acts of employees because when employees have been killed by co‐workers, victims’ survivors have filed ‐ and won ‐ premises‐liability lawsuits against employers. When concerned consultants or managers seek to understand the growing phenomenon of workplace violence, the academic‐ and practitioner‐oriented literature offers little more than news‐oriented accounts. In an attempt to provide insights into the area of workplace violence, provides two case histories that offer anecdotal‐based insights. The two cases describe the steps used at two different employers when confronted with a potential for employee violence in the workplace.

Evaluates stress and its effect on the UK regarding time off, stating that one out of five people suffers from stress. States also that organizations now seem to be taking employee stress seriously ‐ but that does not necessarily mean a permanent solution is in sight. Proposes possible solutions using policies to deal with occupational issues.

The purpose of this paper is to examine associations between work‐family conflicts, threat appraisals, self‐efficacy, and emotional exhaustion. Threat appraisal was hypothesized to mediate relations between work‐family conflicts (work‐to‐family and family‐to‐work) and emotional exhaustion. Self‐efficacy was hypothesized to moderate relations between work‐family conflicts and threat appraisal, with relations expected to be weaker for individuals high in self‐efficacy.

University employees (n=159; 67 percent female) participated in this non‐experimental study. Data were gathered via questionnaire. Two‐thirds of participants completed measures of work‐family conflicts and threat‐appraisal a few weeks prior to completing measures of self‐efficacy and emotional exhaustion; remaining participants completed one cross‐sectional survey.

Observed relations were consistent with predicted mediation hypotheses. Contrary to predictions, self‐efficacy did not moderate relations between work‐to‐family conflict and threat‐appraisal and the relation between family‐to‐work conflict and threat‐appraisal was stronger for those with higher self‐efficacy. Self‐efficacy was negatively related to emotional exhaustion.

Organizations should foster positive work‐family climates to help alleviate work‐family conflicts. Managers should demonstrate compassion when dealing with employees who have serious family concerns, as even efficacious individuals may find such situations threatening.

This research integrates stress theories with research on the work‐family interface. The relevance of threat appraisal and the role of self‐efficacy are highlighted.

This chapter explores what academic librarians and their supervisors must consider when looking to a remote or telework arrangement as a staffing solution. The popular and scholarly literature on remote work is surveyed and contextualized for information professionals. Research is clear that with proper planning, remote work arrangements can succeed, benefitting organizations and individuals. Even so, liaison librarians are unlikely to have central support for remote work arrangements due to communication and cultural hurdles unique to the profession. While these have been mitigated by technology to varying degrees in other sectors and industries, adoption in libraries has been slow. When librarians do pursue remote work, they are often unsure how to gauge fit, negotiate an arrangement, overcome technical obstacles and cultural misconceptions, and balance work and life. Authors Hickey and Tang: (1) summarize and apply research on remote work for library science professionals; (2) propose a theoretical framework for understanding the future of remote work for practitioner librarians in higher education; (3) present a case study of a successful remote work arrangement at Cornell University; (4) provide thought-provoking coaching questions for librarians and supervisors considering remote arrangements; (5) and identify next-steps for advancing the discussion and study of remote work in libraries. The practical implication of this information, aimed at service providers and managers, is to help them create a better workplace where flexible remote work arrangements are an opportunity for both the individual and organization that facilitate the achievement of personal, library unit, and institutional goals.

Discusses the problem of managing and empowering those employees in the USA whose employment is protected by special legislation – minority groups – when they do not work responsibly.