Human Resources Management and Services

Development of scale and model for evaluating the individual performance appraisals—Process in public management

Leonardo Ferreira Bezerra — 2024-10-02

The need for strategic alignment within HR management increased managers’ concern about individual behavior and how this behavior was related to the achievement of goals. In public management, effectively managing employees’ performance has been necessary since Weber’s bureaucratic administration. The individual performance appraisal is the right tool to assess employees’ competencies. Thus, we proposed the following research question: Which factors, as pointed out by theory, have the most significant influence on the individual performance appraisal process? The quantitative method was applied to answer this question, developing and testing a scale via EFA and a hypothetical model via SEM-CB. The results indicated a scale with 25 items able to access the main points of the IPA process and a hypothetical model with 7 constructs that indicate the influence on employee engagement. The main finding is the significant influence of feedback on the whole process. The main theoretical contribution was the construction of the MIPAS scale, and the practical contribution was to identify the points where managers should focus on improving the IPA process with their subordinates.

Paradigms of people management: Human resource strategies during an economic downturn

Mathew James Manimala — 2024-10-10

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been an evolution in the paradigms under which the industrial worker is perceived and dealt with. These paradigms can be briefly listed in the order of their evolutionary stage as: the food-gatherer, the economic man, the social man, the resourceful man, and the enterprising man. Each of them is a combination of two basic paradigms in different proportions, namely, the outsider paradigm and the partnership paradigm. Obviously, the paradigmatic perspectives of management about their workers will have a significant influence on how they treat their workers, which may become especially conspicuous during recessions and other kinds of hard times. It was in this context that we designed a study to understand the human resource strategies of companies during a period of recession. Data for this study was collected through the content analysis of 46 published cases, wherein we developed the ratings of two sets of variables, namely: the external and internal environments of the company and the strategic actions taken by the respective managements. A surprising finding of the study is that the correlations between the environmental factors and the strategy factors were small and non-significant; moreover, the correlations involving the external environment were smaller than those involving the internal environment. Hence, it may be inferred that strategic actions are influenced primarily by the paradigmatic perspectives of management rather than environmental factors. In order to identify the different types of paradigmatic perspectives, we have further carried out a cluster analysis to develop a taxonomy of paradigms. The results showed that there are five sub-paradigms, which are: (1) Pacifiers, constituting 35% of the sample; (2) Modifiers, constituting 22%; (3) Molders, constituting 17%; (4) Enhancers, constituting 15%; and (5) Exploiters, constituting 11%. The limitations of the study and the implications of the findings are discussed in the concluding part.

Responsible leadership in a military organization (in the light of opinion surveys of professional soldiers)

Kazimierz Nagody-Mrozowicz — 2024-10-11

Military leadership is currently an extremely popular and important aspect of managing human resources in difficult, changeable, and unpredictable conditions. The solutions used in modernly managed, well-organized, subsidized, and ethically militarized systems become a point of reference and a model for organizations that encounter perturbations in the management of the organization’s human resources. The most important of them are certainly the sense of trust of subordinates in their superiors and the leaders’ responsibility for the level of staff development. The aim of the research undertaken was to verify the thesis that can be formulated in this affirmative sentence: “A modern commander should be honorable, self-confident, and have the ability to influence his subordinates and shape friendly interpersonal contacts in the group he reports.” The literature search in the field of leadership and questionnaire research were aimed at answering the main research question: “What mental properties and behavioural features should characterize a responsible leader in military organizations?”. The work uses the diagnostic survey method, and the interview was conducted using a multi-factor survey questionnaire on a 30-person study group consisting of professional soldiers aged 25–40. The adopted age range of the study group corresponds to the period of active military service, from the age of graduation to the year of termination of active military service. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire is composed of two scales, creating a total of 37 randomly ordered statements in the form of single-choice questions. To analyze the distribution of answers, ranks were used to assess the degree of their compliance with the respondents’ beliefs. Based on the conclusions from the conducted research, we have grounds to believe that professional soldiers expect their leader to be helpful to their subordinates and to ensure that the soldiers are motivated to act and perform their tasks. An important behavior that is expected from the commander is the desire to have a common mission in achieving the goal. Based on the research results, it was found that an undesirable feature is the inconsistency of commanders when pointing out the mistakes of their subordinates, who do not devote interest and time to learning how to avoid mistakes and to improve the competence of their subordinates.

Workplace antecedents of quiet quitting behavior: Insights from graduate workers in India

Mohandas P. Nimmi — 2024-10-23

Drawing on the theoretical framework of Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), our study aims to consider how workplace antecedents of perceived quiet firing (also known as involuntary attrition), perceived co-worker support, and experience (tenure at an organization) may influence quiet quitting behavior. Data were collected via questionnaire responses from 209 workers in India who had graduated from university within the last 7 years. The findings show that (1) perceived quiet firing is positively associated with quiet quitting; (2) perceived co-worker support is negatively associated with quiet quitting; (3) experience moderates the positive association between perceived quiet firing and quiet quitting in such a way that the relationship is weaker as one’s tenure at an organization increases; and (4) experience does not moderate the negative association between perceived co-worker support and quiet quitting. The study’s contributions come from understanding how the interplay of demands (i.e., perceived quiet firing) and resources (i.e., perceived co-worker support and experience) determine quiet quitting behaviors in the workplace. Additionally, the temporal dimension of experience facilitates the acquisition of organizational-specific knowledge and resources. In contrast, perceptions of co-worker support appear specific to a given point in time. Policy implications come from providing guidance to organizations on how to reduce quiet quitting behaviors by ensuring that the resources available to employees exceed the demands placed on them.

Navigating academic excellence: Understanding how university vision impacts staff effectiveness

Mercy Ejovwokeoghene Ogbari — 2024-10-26

Vision statements are seen as important factors that come before the development of strategies. They excel at encapsulating the strategic direction of a company, clearly defining its scope, boundaries, and the process of creating value. Vision statements function as comprehensive frameworks that guide the development of several strategic elements, including mission, strategic capabilities, strategic intent, objectives, goals, core values, standards of behavior, and business models. However, research on this subject remains scanty, particularly within academia. Therefore, this study examined the impact of university vision on staff effectiveness, building on transformational leadership theory and strategic leadership theory. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy. The research employed a cross-sectional study design. This study employed a descriptive research design. Questionnaires were devised by the researcher to collect data from a randomly selected group of 186 academic personnel from the four colleges in a private university using stratified sampling. The data obtained was subject to validity checks using composite reliability, the average variance extracted (AVE) estimate, and the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. The findings reveal that the vision of the university had a significant but weak impact on the effectiveness of staff. Based on the findings and conclusions, the study suggests that the university’s organizational vision should be consistently improved and effectively conveyed to staff members to direct their efforts toward achieving the university’s vision.

Exploring the potential of internal communication and employee relations for effective staff performance in Nigeria customs service

Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada — 2024-10-27

Organizations in the modern, global environment have moved away from traditional methods of communication and toward creating all-encompassing plans that revolve around the engagement and motivation of their workforce. This change highlights the critical function of strategic internal communication, a still-emerging but increasingly important field of study and practice in the business sector. The modern workplace sees a change in the roles that employees play, with workers taking on more and more duties that were previously related to public relations. Understanding this shift in PR practice requires an understanding of role expectations, as norms and expectations have a significant impact on communication behavior and, in turn, organizational performance. To interpret the data in this context, a content analysis of secondary data was conducted. This made it possible to assess the body of knowledge in order to determine its applicability, consistency, replication, and rebuttal. The study makes the case that paramilitary organizations, like the Nigeria Customs Service, have internal communication procedures that are different from those of traditional corporate organizational structures. Given the agency’s diverse responsibilities in income generation, trade facilitation, and the abolition of smuggling, this discrepancy is especially noticeable. The study shows that the relationship between internal communication and employees’ job performance was mediated by employee participation and job satisfaction.

Team commitment and performance of construction project in Nigerian construction industry

Femi-favour Olabode Olasunkanmi — 2024-11-07

Project success requires team commitment, which is a product of an encouraging culture of cooperation and teamwork among project team members. The research work aims to ascertain which components of team commitment affect the performance of construction projects in Nigeria. The research adopted a quantitative design where questionnaires were used for data collection. Out of 1233 questionnaires distributed, 975 were received with valid responses and used for data analysis. Data were analysed descriptively using percentage, mean score, and relative agreement index. The study showed the factors of team commitment having an effect on project performance, as rated by the respondents, to be: Normative component: “Project team members owe a great deal to this organisation”; “Members of the project team do not feel it is right to quit the project before completion”; “This organisation has a great deal of personal meaning for project team members”. Affective component: “This organisation deserves the loyalty of project team members”; “The project team considers the team’s problems as their own. Then, “One of the few negative consequences of leaving this organisation will be the scarcity of available alternatives” is for continuance. In conclusion, the emotional attachment of the team members and sense of obligation to the project team and construction organisation are the driving forces behind pushing for the successful outcome of projects within the Nigerian construction industry.

Structural relationships between workation attachment, workationer power, workation relationship quality, and workation intention

Hung-Che Wu — 2024-11-11

This research aims to examine the structural relationships between the dimensions of workation attachment, workationer power, the dimensions of workation relationship quality, and workation intention. It demonstrates that the proposed model aligns well with the collected data based on a convenience sample comprising 494 workationers in Bangkok using structural equation modeling. The analysis outcomes contribute to the tourism marketing theory by providing additional insights into the dimensions of workation attachment, workationer power, the dimensions of workation relationship quality, and workation intention. The findings from this study can aid workation managers in formulating and executing market-oriented service strategies to enhance the dimensions of workation attachment, workationer power, and workation relationship quality and foster workation intention.

Organizational commitment and ethical environment: Reducing nomophobia in the workplace

Ali Bai — 2024-11-11

Nomophobia, the anxiety experienced when individuals are separated from their mobile phones, is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern workplaces. This study investigates the role of organizational commitment in mitigating nomophobia, with a focus on the mediating influence of the ethical environment. Data were collected from 600 participants and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings show that a strong sense of organizational commitment significantly reduces nomophobia among employees. Additionally, an ethical environment within organizations further mitigates this anxiety by fostering a workplace culture that encourages psychological well-being. This research provides practical insights for organizations looking to reduce the psychological strain associated with digital dependency, emphasizing the importance of both commitment and a strong ethical climate.

Workforce ecosystems as a model for human capital management in the digital age

Boris Slavin — 2024-11-20

This paper discusses the use of workforce ecosystems to manage human intellectual capital. The need for work ecosystems has emerged in the digital age because of the rapid growth in the number of engaged partners and freelancers in the digitalization of enterprises. It is shown that this growth is directly related to the use of agile management systems in design and development: agile, DevOps, microservice architecture, turquoise practices, etc. The information systems needed to manage workforce ecosystems should have competency-based metrics to link business needs, recruitment and training, and finding new partners. At the same time, training should be prioritized over recruitment and the search for new partners in the context of staff shortages. When automating workforce ecosystems, a platform approach should be used to integrate both corporate HR, time and business process management systems, and similar systems from partners.

Effect of personal histories of top executives and company headquarters geographical relationship on corporate performance: Empirical study from China

Limin Wang — 2024-11-29

This paper analyses wherever top executives were born and wherever they attended university to reveal regional groupings of the executives that form company culture and strategy in China and the mechanisms by which they affect corporate performance. It was found that the personal histories of top executives affect their decision-making orientation, and, in turn, company culture. The personal histories of executives and intra-regional, intra-provincial and intra-city links of corporate headquarters were obvious factors for executive selection. Distances were higher, and percentages of intra-regional links were lower for higher profit and growth companies. This shows that more competitive companies are more likely to hire executives who have lived in different regions or institutions in their lifetimes and university educations. The study concludes that Chinese firms’ key choices are influenced, in part, by external geographic factors way more advanced than the self-operation of individual enterprises.

Perceived workplace safety, workload and pay satisfaction as predictors of mental health among employees in a Nigerian health-related organization

Olubunmi Adetutu Onifade — 2024-12-16

The health of employees is so paramount for employee productivity. While emphasis is often placed on the physical health of employees, less emphasis is placed on the psychological or mental health of the employees. Similarly, it seems as if health challenges are more occurring in manufacturing industries, but the service organizations employees are as well susceptible to mental health challenges. Understanding the predictive factors to mental health challenges therefore becomes imperative. It is on this note that the present research examines how employee mental health is predicted by work safety measures like perceived workplace safety, work overload and pay satisfaction. The workplace safety variables include perception of job, co-worker, supervisor, management, and safety programs. A cross sectional survey method was adopted, using ex-post-facto research design. Data were gathered from 258 employees, including 150 (58.1%) females and 108 (41.9%) males of a non-governmental organization. Correlation and regression analyses were used to analyze data obtained from the standardized psychological scales that were administered. The results showed that mental health correlated positively with perceived job safety, but negatively with perceived co-worker, supervisor, management, safety programs and pay satisfaction. Workplace safety variables jointly predicted mental health, accounting for 23% variance, but only perceived job safety and supervisor safety were significant. The higher employees perceived job safety, the lower their mental health challenges. Similarly, the higher they perceived supervisor safety, the lower their mental health issues. Pay satisfaction accounted for 3% variance in mental health, and the higher the pay satisfaction, the lower the level of employee mental health issues. It is implied that the human resource unit of service organizations should intermittently examine their organizations to identify and prevent possible job and supervisor safety threats. Supervisors should be trained on how to be discrete in communicating safety measures to subordinates so that it will not boomerang to hamper mental health. The human resources unit should also intermittently organize workshop, training, and employee-assisted programs for younger and lower grade employees on adaptive mechanisms for reducing mental health challenges.

Succession planning in higher education: A systematic literature review (2012–2022)

Kazi Enamul Hoque — 2024-11-07

This research investigates the dynamic landscape of succession planning (SP) strategies in higher education, with a focus on synthesizing existing literature to guide improvements in presidential succession practices. The intense global competition in higher education has led to imbalances in the quantity and composition of potential successors, hindering institutions’ rapid advancement and affecting their competitiveness on the global stage. The study addresses critical challenges such as attracting, retaining, and nurturing successors in key positions beyond material incentives. Employing a literature analysis methodology, the research comprehensively examines the existing body of literature related to succession planning, offering recommendations to promote stability in leadership, foster continuous talent development, and mitigate talent crises. The study evaluates the current state of succession planning in higher education, identifying issues and their root causes. It provides a summary and analysis of ongoing research efforts related to successor quality, team formation, and cultivation models. Despite advancements through national talent cultivation policies, persistent challenges like talent scarcity, the absence of gender-inclusive succession plans, a lack of originality, and inconsistent staff flow hinder progress. The research attributes these challenges to traditional personnel systems and university administrators. Proactive measures are proposed, including creating awareness of succession planning, advocating for personnel mechanism reform, establishing a comprehensive training system, and developing a scientifically-grounded succession plan. Though the study aims to contribute to leadership development and address pressing issues faced by higher education institutions, with only a limited number utilizing mixed techniques, it restricted the comprehensive inclusion of social context knowledge and evidence regarding the motivations, beliefs, and experiences of individuals in this investigation.