Antecedent and employee well-being outcomes of perceived benefits schemes: a two-wave study

PurposeThe purpose of the research is to examine the antecedent and employee well-being outcomes of employees' perceptions of benefits schemes.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using both paper-based and web-based questionnaires over two time points (one month apart). The sample included 281 participants in eight companies in China. Structural equation modelling was employed to investigate the relationship between Chinese traditionality, perceived benefits schemes, job involvement and emotional exhaustion.FindingsChinese traditionality is an antecedent of employees' perceptions of benefits schemes. Perceived benefits schemes are negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. Moreover, job involvement mediates the relationship between perceived benefits schemes and emotional exhaustion.Research limitations/implications The data were collected in eight manufacturing companies in China, which may raise concerns about the generalisability of findings across industries, nations and cultures. Larger, more representative and cross-contextual samples are needed for future research to test the results further.Practical implicationsManagers should anticipate that employees with different cultural values may develop dissimilar perceptions of the same benefits schemes. Hence, managers need to communicate the benefits schemes to distinct employee groups in different ways.Originality/valueBased on the conservation of resources model, this research offers theoretical insights into the mechanisms through which perceived benefits schemes influence employee health well-being. In addition, this research tests an antecedent of perceived benefits schemes.

The emotional and social side of analytics professionals: an exploratory study of the behavioral profile of data scientists and data analysts

PurposeAnalytics technologies are profoundly changing the way in which organizations generate economic and social value from data. Consequently, the professional roles of data scientists and data analysts are in high demand in the labor market. Although the technical competencies expected for these roles are well known, their behavioral competencies have not been thoroughly investigated. Drawing on the competency-based theoretical framework, this study aims to address this gap, providing evidence of the emotional, social and cognitive competencies that data scientists and data analysts most frequently demonstrate when they effectively perform their jobs, and identifying those competencies that distinguish them.Design/methodology/approachThis study is exploratory in nature and adopts the competency-based methodology through the analysis of in-depth behavioral event interviews collected from a sample of 24 Italian data scientists and data analysts.FindingsThe findings empirically enrich the extant literature on the intangible dimensions of human capital that are relevant in analytics roles. Specifically, the results show that, in comparison to data analysts, data scientists more frequently use certain competencies related to self-awareness, teamwork, networking, flexibility, system thinking and lateral thinking.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted in a small sample and in a specific geographical area, and this may reduce the analytic generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsThe skills shortages that characterize these roles need to be addressed in a way that also considers the intangible dimensions of human capital. Educational institutions can design better curricula for entry-level data scientists and analysts who encompass the development of behavioral competencies. Organizations can effectively orient the recruitment and the training processes toward the most relevant competencies for those analytics roles.Originality/valueThis exploratory study advances our understanding of the competencies required by professionals who mostly contribute to the performance of data science teams. This article proposes a competency framework that can be adopted to assess a broader portfolio of the behaviors of big data professionals.

Human resource development 4.0 (HRD 4.0) in the apparel industry of Bangladesh: a theoretical framework and future research directions

PurposeThe transition from Industry 3.0 to the fourth industrial revolution was a big jump that created a vacuum in many developing countries. Drawing upon institutional theory and resource-based view theory, the current study proposes a theoretical model linking the institutional pressures and resources (workforce skills) in context to the apparel industry of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative approach involving 20 semi-structured interviews, followed by thematic analysis using NVivo 12 software. The researchers impose both deductive and inductive thematic analysis to generate themes. The data analysis involves various stages applying the phenomenological approaches.FindingsInstitutional pressures (coercive) positively influences the workforce skills (technical and managerial) in the fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry; institutional pressures (normative) is positively related to the workforce skills (technical and managerial) in 4IR in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry; institutional pressures (mimetic) has shown a positive association with the workforce skills (technical and managerial) in 4IR in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry; workforce skills (technical and managerial) are positively influencing the development of human resource capabilities in fourth industrial revolution in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing industry.Originality/valueThis paper is the first of its kind to offer a thematic analysis on human resource development 4.0 in the apparel industry of Bangladesh. The study provides an understanding of the role of institutional pressure on workforce skill development and the adoption of 4IR technology.

A study of artificial intelligence on employee performance and work engagement: the moderating role of change leadership

PurposeThis paper aims to explore employee perceptions of companies engaged in services and banking of the role of change leadership on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) that will impact the performance and work engagement in conditions that are experiencing rapid changes.Design/methodology/approachThis study has used a quantitative research approach, and data analysis uses an approach structural equation modeling (SEM) supported by program computer software AMOS 22.0. A total of 357 respondents were involved in this study, but only 254 were qualified. In this study, the respondent is an employee of companies engaged in the services and banking sector in the East Java, Indonesia region.FindingsThe results reveal that AI has a significant positive effect on employee performance and work engagement. Change leadership positively moderates the influence of AI on employee performance and work engagement.Originality/valueThe development of this model has a novelty by including the moderating variable of the role of change leadership because, in conditions that are experiencing rapid changes, the role of leaders is essential. After all, leaders are decision-makers in the organization. The development of this concept focuses on studies of companies engaged in services and banking. Employee performance is an essential determinant in the organization because it will improve organizational performance. In addition, the application of AI in organizations will experience turmoil, so that the critical role of leaders is needed to achieve success with employee work engagement.

Employability of job applicants in skilful jobs: commonality in employer and employee perspectives

Purpose The purpose of this research is to explore the employer and employee perspectives about the employability skills of skilful jobs. The research is conducted in a developing country (Palestine) which has a high percentage of university graduates, high unemployment rate and intense job competition. This paper defines skilful jobs as those that require employees who have attended a college or university and have completed a two-year diploma or a four-year degree.Design/methodology/approach This research integrates the components of discussion with local experts in the skilled labour market, primary data from employers (N = 415) and primary data from employees (N = 880). Binary logistic regression is used to measure the relationship between the dependent variable (likelihood of hire or not hire) and independent variables (job applicants' hard and soft skills).Findings The results from both employer and employee data revealed that the previous work experience, computer skills, professional certifications and high grade point average have significant impact on hiring and recruitment in the skilful jobs. In addition to these, the employers seek applicants who have communication skills. However, the employees consider personal relationship with employers to be a highly significant factor in accepting job offers.Practical implications To increase their likelihood of obtaining a skilful job, and then sustaining it, the job seekers should hone their soft skills and acquire professional certifications. The universities should adapt their curriculum to match these skills and move their focus from disciplinary knowledge to competencies. The public policy makers should design awareness and capacity building programmes that will facilitate the recent graduates' integration into the labour market. The empirical model in this study shows that previous work experience is the most important recruitment factor for employers – accordingly, creating internships and apprenticeship opportunities would be its clear policy implication.Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by providing a parsimonious employability model of skilful jobs, which fits as much as possible the perspectives of the employers and employees about the employability skills in a developing country.

Voluntary part-time and mandatory full-time telecommuting: a comparative longitudinal analysis of the impact of managerial, work and individual characteristics on job performance

PurposeBased on self-determination theory (SDT), the present study aims to assess the effect of managerial (manager trust and support), work (job autonomy) and individual (intrinsic motivation) characteristics on job performance of telecommuters in a pre- and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak period and is further studied longitudinally after six months of continued mandatory telecommuting.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from information technology (IT) sector employees in three phases and model fitness, reliability and validity of the data for all three phases were assessed through CFA models, while the hypotheses were tested through path analysis.FindingsPerceived manager trust and support increases job performance and the effect strengthens with an increase in telecommuting extent. Job autonomy had similar effects with the exception that employees did not enjoy autonomy when mandatory telecommuting arrangement was initially introduced. Lastly, intrinsic motivation fades away as employees continue to work permanently from their homes.Practical implicationsPermanent full-time telecommuting is expected to continue for the unforeseeable future; the present study suggests that while ensuring increased trust, support and job autonomy to employees, managers must also ensure that employees do not feel professionally isolated and attempt to keep individuals intrinsically motivated.Originality/valueThe authors assess the effect of managerial (manager trust and support), work (job autonomy) and individual (intrinsic motivation) characteristics on job performance under three different types of telecommuting arrangements (voluntary part-time, mandatory full-time and continued mandatory full-time) by collecting data in three different time frames from the same individuals.

COVID-19 impact on job losses in Portugal: who are the hardest-hit?

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic caused job losses to rise dramatically. Herein, the purpose of the article is to identify which personal and job characteristics make individuals more vulnerable or more resilient to COVID-19 unemployment in Portugal and thus to help policymakers, organizations and individuals themselves, in creating mechanisms to avoid unemployment within this new context.Design/methodology/approach Using extensive personal and job-related data on the complete population of newly unemployed in Portugal over several months after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, a logit model is estimated to identify the characteristics that make workers more resilient or more vulnerable to COVID-19 unemployment, in comparison with the pre-crisis period.Findings The COVID-19 crisis is shown to be disruptive by changing the unemployment structure, increasing socioeconomic inequalities and weakening traditional mechanisms of employment protection. Additionally, the authors identify a higher vulnerability of low-skilled individuals and of those in occupations with low working-from-home feasibility and/or from non-essential sectors (particularly tourism).Practical implications Policy indications are given aiming to protect the most vulnerable individuals, sectors and regions in Portugal, in this new and unprecedented context.Originality/value A seven-month period following the emergence of the pandemic is considered, which allows investigating both the immediate and the medium-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on job losses. Additionally, by matching data from three different sources, an extensive set of multilevel variables is considered, some of them new in the literature.

Management innovation: the influence of institutional pressures and the impact on competitive advantage

PurposeDrawing on DiMaggio and Powell's (1983) perspective of institutional theory, this study examines the influence of institutional pressures on the adoption of management innovation and the subsequent impact of management innovation on competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachData were obtained from 156 middle-level managers in Australia using a survey questionnaire, with data analysed using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results show that internal coercive pressures and normative pressures are positively associated with both dimensions of management innovation (i.e. practices and techniques). However, external coercive pressures were found to negatively influence management innovation techniques, and no association was found between mimetic pressures with either dimension of management innovation. Finally, both dimensions of management innovation were found to exhibit a positive influence on competitive advantage.Originality/valueThe findings provide organisations with an insight into the institutional factors that affect their ability to introduce new management practices and techniques (i.e. management innovation) and the role of management innovation in enhancing competitive advantage.

Home, work or both? The role of paradox mindset in a remote work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeWhy did some individuals have relatively little trouble balancing work and home demands during the COVID-19 lockdown, while others felt overwhelmed? Although ample studies have recently been generated regarding COVID-19 employment challenges, this question has not yet received sufficient scholarly attention. This research integrates work–home conflict theories with the paradox-mindset framework, in order to suggest a new theoretical approach for understanding individual differences in addressing work–home conflict.Design/methodology/approachDuring the first two weeks of the COVID-19 epidemic in Israel, the author gathered 117 completed questionnaires from their colleagues in the Israeli higher-education system, who were working remotely and teaching online during the lockdown imposed to control the epidemic. Based on a path-model analysis, the author examined whether their experiences of strain and tension in the work domain might be indirectly and positively associated with workplace outcomes via positive associations between these experiences and paradox mindset, as well as negative associations between paradox mindset and work-to-home conflict (WTH) and home-to-work (HTW) conflict.FindingsThe study findings highlight the beneficial effect of paradox mindset on the experience of work–home conflict and its outcomes. Although working remotely has great potential to increase the strain and tension experienced by employees, applying a paradox mindset reduces the experience of work–home conflict and is positively associated with certain work outcomes.Originality/valueThis research integrates work–home conflict theories with the paradox-mindset framework. The beneficial effects of a paradox mindset on the experience of work–home conflict and its outcomes are highlighted.

Chinese entrepreneurs and workers at the crossroad: the role of social networks in ethnic industrial clusters in Italy

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the evolution of Chinese industrial ethnic clusters in Italy, by focusing on the role of social networks and the processes behind the phenomenon of Chinese worker exploitation and entrepreneur “self-exploitation”.Design/methodology/approachThe case study is a sub-cluster of micro and small enterprises owned by Chinese entrepreneurs within the leather industrial district of Florence, Italy. This research adopts the following mixed methods: a small-scale survey to capture the characteristics of the sub-cluster and a social network analysis to describe cluster evolution, complemented by life-course interviews conducted with key informants and entrepreneurs.FindingsMigrant social capital and social networks play a central role in the evolution of the case study sub-cluster. Social networks play a supportive role in migration, job creation, entrepreneurship formation and the creation of business opportunities. Simultaneously, they enhance the phenomenon of worker exploitation and entrepreneur self-exploitation. Furthermore, the more the business community grows, the more the economic performance of ethnic enterprises depends on agglomeration forces produced by the cluster.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest a series of potential policies to upgrade the ethnic enterprises' capacities, to increase their formality and inclusion in the Italian social and economic systems and sub-cluster.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to examine the evolution of social networks in relation to the phenomenon of Chinese worker exploitation and entrepreneur self-exploitation in an ethnic industrial sub-cluster.