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By aligning the “Small is beautiful” and “Bleak house” theories, this study aims to examine how robotic working patterns affect employees’ working life and job satisfaction (JS) in Bangladeshi-owned ethnic minority businesses.

The study uses information from 40 face-to-face interviews of employees from 20 Bangladeshi restaurants in Greater London.

The findings suggest that workers are treated as “robots”, consistent with the “Bleak house” view of small businesses in this segment of the restaurant and hospitality industry. Owners expect employees to perform multiple tasks, to assume many responsibilities, to work long shifts, without any holiday allowances. Consistent with the “Small is beautiful model”, the findings underscore the lack of written employment contracts and the emergence of acute staff shortages.

The findings can inform owner-managers’ decisions to refine their HR strategies and improve the work conditions of employees in ethnic minority-owned restaurants. The “Small is beautiful” model highlights five key interventions for improving ethnic minority business work quality: recruit employees with first preferences for restaurant jobs, introduce flexible work arrangements, formalise work, improve market research and tackle acute staff shortages.

The study contributes novel insights into the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and job quality literature by offering new qualitative-based findings on the negative impact of robotic work patterns on work quality and JS in ethnic minority SMEs.

Multiple jobholding (MJH) is assumed to be a growing phenomenon due to working life changes. This study presents new knowledge on the MJH career paths, from the perspectives of both employers and employees.

The qualitative interview study was focused on retail trade and restaurant and food service industries in Finland, where MJH is a quite common work arrangement compared to other European countries. The data were analyzed with the concepts of the chaos theory of careers and with an abductive thematic content analysis.

According to the results, several events and intertwined factors may lead individual careers gradually to MJH. Changing personal and family situations and leisure time needs attracted the careers towards MJH. MJH was not only a financial necessity to employees, but it also served their flexibility interests. The interviewed employers applied flexible non-standard employment arrangements mainly due to rapidly varying labor needs established in the industries. It was important for them to strengthen the non-standard core employees' sense of belonging to the work community. However, employees with work ability challenges were in risk to end up in peripheral positions at the labor market.

Previous research on multiple jobholding has not combined employers’ perspectives of MJH to employees’ experiences of career paths.

This research investigates the personal experiences of hybrid workers, exploring their perspectives on their health and well-being when undertaking hybrid working arrangements. The research further explores how organisations can proactively support the health and wellbeing of hybrid workers, mitigating any potential health risks.

A cross-sectional, qualitative online survey was used to collect data from 412 hybrid workers. The data were analysed thematically. This approach allows for nuanced insights into the personal experiences of hybrid workers to be understood.

Findings indicate that employees who undertake hybrid work experience both positive and negative effects on their subjective well-being; hybrid work arrangement has the potential to act as a job resource or job demand. The study further identifies actions that can support healthy hybrid work that will be of value to organisations offering these working arrangements.

Although empirical research has previously examined the relationship between remote work and employee well-being, there is a lack of in-depth understanding about employees’ experiences of well-being whilst undertaking hybrid work – an emerging and relatively unexplored working arrangement. This research therefore addresses a significant gap in the literature by providing a deep understanding of how hybrid work influences employee well-being. Furthermore, previous research has not yet explored how hybrid worker health can be enabled and supported by organisations and individuals themselves.

This study aims to investigate the implementation of flexible working arrangements and satisfaction, family work conflicts and the performance of educators. The potential benefits of FWA implementation for life balance highlight the importance of this research. The study’s results can be used as study material to make policies on implementing FWA for educators.

The research uses the survey method and conducts interviews with educators who are selected and willing to be interviewed. The research sample was taken by the non-probability sampling method from 245 participants. The analysis used is PLS-SEM.

The findings indicated that flexible working arrangements had no impact on job satisfaction. The variable that has the greatest influence on determining the performance of educators is job satisfaction.

The study provides information about the application of flexible working arrangements, provides flexibility for educators to change work schedules, do work from anywhere, regulate work patterns and regulate work duration. This study is unique as it focuses more on flexible work arrangements related to remote work arrangements for educators, as the authors understand that no previous study was conducted.

Studies highlight that poor labour supervision and inadequate labour training facilities are the primary factors that result in labour skill shortages and productivity-related challenges among construction firms. This study aims to assess the construction supervisors’ abilities in providing work-based training elements and evaluating labour skills in construction.

A construction supervisory training programme was newly designed with a set of labour training exercises using comprehensive approaches. A total of 64 construction supervisors were trained to deliver the labour training components for more than 250 labourers working on 23 construction projects in Sri Lanka. The supervisors’ competencies were assessed using a detailed marking guide developed through expert discussions and literature reviews.

The results show the detailed cross-section of a wide range of competencies of the construction supervisors in providing labour training elements with the levels of standards/descriptions. The generalisability of the study applications and the reliability of the results were ensured using statistical tests and expert reviews. The findings further describe the impacts of the well-improved competencies of construction supervisors on labour working patterns and work outputs.

Though the study findings were limited to the Sri Lankan construction sector, the study applications can have a considerable impact on the current/future practices of the construction sector in developing countries as well as other developing industries.

The study outcomes may contribute to a rapid increase in the number of construction supervisors becoming certified assessors of National Vocational Qualifications up to certain levels. This paper describes the further extensive implications and future scopes of the study elaborately.

The study adds new characteristics and values to construction supervision practices that can be remarkable in achieving higher levels of performance and productivity in labour operations. Importantly, the study contributes to adorning the job role of construction supervisors with the title of “labour training expert”.

Productivity increase is correlated with profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of the construction firms. Recent studies reveal that the primary causes of productivity decline are poor usage of scientific and technological advances, ineffective supervision strategies and poor apprenticeship facilities/opportunities. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how well construction supervisors can utilise fundamental science and technological concepts/ideas to increase the efficiency and productivity of construction activities.

A new strategic layout was designed with the use of potential training guide tools. Based on the designed layout, a new supervisory training programme was developed, and 62 construction supervisors were selected, trained and evaluated in line with six parts of competencies and the relevant learning domains. An assessment guide with different levels of descriptions and criteria was developed through literature analysis and expert interviews. The research tools were verified using comprehensive approaches.

The overall mean values of supervisors’ performance scores indicate proficient-level grades in the competency characteristics related to taking measurements, generating drawings/designs using manual techniques and computer-aided tools, involving Bill of Quantities (BOQ) preparations and preparing training plans/materials for improving the competencies of labourers on estimation, measurements and understanding drawings. Their proficiency was notably lower in the use of information and communication technology application tools in construction tasks compared to others. The findings point to a modern generalised guideline that establishes the ranges of supervisory attributes associated with science and technology-related applications.

The study outcomes produce conceptualised projections to restructure and revalue the job functions of various working categories by adding new definitions within the specified scope. This may result in constructive benefits to upgrading the current functions associated with urbanisation, sustainability and society. The implementation of the study’s findings/conclusions will have a significant impact on present and future practices in other developing nations and developing industries, even if they are directly applicable to the Sri Lankan construction industry.

Up to certain limits/stages, the study fills not only the knowledge gap in the field of creating protocols and application techniques connected to lifelong learning and skill enhancement/upgrading but also the existing gaps in work attributes and roles of construction supervisors associated with the utilisation of fundamental science and technological concepts/ideas towards reinforcing sustainable and productive site operations.

While stress, anxiety and depression rank as the second leading cause of work-related ill health in the UK construction sector, there exists a scarcity of empirical studies explicitly focused on investigating the sources of occupational stress among construction workers and professionals at both the construction project and supply chain levels. This study seeks to identify and investigate the primary stressors (sources of stress) in UK construction projects and to propose effective strategies for preventing or reducing stress in this context.

The study adopted a qualitative multi-methods research approach, comprising the use of a comprehensive literature review, case study interviews and a focus group. It utilised an integrated deductive-inductive approach theory building using NVivo software. In total, 19 in-depth interviews were conducted as part of the case-study with a well-rounded sample of construction professionals and trade supervisors, followed by a focus group with 12 policy influencers and sector stakeholders to evaluate the quality and transferability of the findings of the study.

The results reveal seven main stressors and 35 influencing factors within these 7 areas of stress in a UK construction project, with “workflow interruptions” emerging as the predominant stressor. In addition, the results of the focus-group, which was conducted with a sample of 12 prominent industry experts and policy influencers, indicate that the findings of the case study are transferrable and could be applicable to other construction projects and contexts. It is, therefore, recommended that these potential stressors be addressed by the project team as early as possible in construction projects. Additionally, the study sheds empirical light on the limitations of the critical path method and identifies “inclusive and collaborative planning” as a proactive strategy for stress prevention and/or reduction in construction projects.

The findings of this study are mainly based on the perspectives of construction professionals at managerial and supervisory levels. It is, therefore, suggested that future studies are designed to focus on capturing the experiences and opinions of construction workers/operatives on the site.

The findings from this study have the potential to assist decision-makers in the prevention of stress within construction projects, ultimately enhancing workforce performance. It is suggested that the findings could be adapted for use as Construction Supply Chain Management Standards to improve occupational stress management and productivity in construction projects. The study also provides decision-makers and practitioners with a conceptual framework that includes a list of effective strategies for stress prevention or reduction at both project and organisational levels. It also contributes to practice by offering novel ideas for incorporating occupational stress and mental health considerations into production planning and control processes in construction.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first, or one of the very few studies, to explore the concept of occupational stress in construction at the project and supply chain levels. It is also the first study to reveal “workflow” as a predominant stressor in construction projects. It is, therefore, suggested that both academic and industry efforts should focus on finding innovative ways to enhance workflow and collaboration in construction projects, to improve the productivity, health and well-being of their workforce and supply chain. Further, it is suggested that policymakers should consider the potential for incorporating “workflow” into the HSE's Management Standards for stress prevention and management.

This paper aims to examine the double-edged sword effects of work-related rumination on employees’ innovative performance. Drawing upon Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study developed a model to reveal the mechanism through which work-related rumination affects employees’ innovative performance.

Data were collected from a sample of employees and their managers at an information technology services firm in China. A two-wave data collection method with a one-month interval was employed. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling on 482 paired manager-subordinate responses.

Our findings highlight the complex interplay between work-related rumination and innovative performance. Specifically, affective rumination was found to detract from employees’ innovative performance, whereas problem-solving pondering had a positive effect. Notably, creative self-efficacy emerged as a key mediator in these relationships. Furthermore, employees’ perceived organizational support moderated the impact of rumination on creative self-efficacy and, consequently, on innovative performance, buffering the negative effects of affective rumination and enhancing the positive effects of problem-solving pondering.

Firstly, it enriches the existing literature on work-related rumination by exploring its nuanced influence on employees’ innovative performance. Secondly, it illuminates the underlying mechanism through which work-related rumination affects innovative performance, mediated by creative self-efficacy. Lastly, it highlights the crucial role of perceived organizational support in moderating these relationships, offering valuable insights for practitioners seeking to foster a more innovative work environment.

Drawing on social learning theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between team cohesion and employee adaptive performance directly and through employee ambidexterity. The study also investigates the moderating role of team empowerment climate in the relationship between team cohesion and employee adaptive performance.

Time-lagged data were collected in two waves from a sample of 212 employees from 43 teams working in software houses in Pakistan. R (lavaan package) was used to analyze the multilevel framework.

The findings reveal that both team cohesion and employee ambidexterity positively relate to employee adaptive performance. Moreover, employee ambidexterity mediates the cross-level relationship between team cohesion and employee adaptive performance. The results also support that team empowerment climate (a contextual boundary condition) moderates the direct relationship between team cohesion and employee adaptive performance.

The primary novelty of this study lies in developing and examining a holistic conceptual framework for a multilevel model in the software industry that incorporates team cohesion (level 2) as an antecedent, employee ambidexterity (level 1) as an underlying mechanism, employee adaptive performance (level 1) as an outcome and team empowerment climate as a boundary condition (level 2).

Wellness has moved beyond its original emancipatory roots to become a mechanism for self-optimisation. In this chapter, the authors examine how wellness transforms or ‘wellness washes’ pleasurable practices into rationalised and instrumentalised ones. The authors argue that one of the key drivers of ‘wellness washing’ is the entanglement of wellness with and in contemporary workplaces. In advance of this analysis, the authors examine digital pleasures, ASMR and digital drugs to examine how pleasures mediated and afforded by the screen are ‘wellness washed’ to better position them as normative cultural practices.