I conducted four studies that develop and test a safety-specific model of exit, voice, patience, and neglect (EVPN) in the context of young workers’ reactions to declining safety conditions (Hirschman, 1970). In the face of hazardous working conditions, contemplating exiting (i.e., quitting the job) or voicing concerns about the risks (e.g., reporting a safety issue to a supervisor) are proactive responses. Conversely, neglecting safety concerns (i.e., ignoring personal safety in the face of danger) is a passive response. Workers may also choose patience (i.e., taking a wait-and-see approach) about concerns. In total, 833 young people participated in four studies. Manuscript 1 (Chapter 5) is a focus group study that explores the types, frequency, temporal patterns, and consequences of the safety-related EVPN behaviours. The results showed (1) most participants favoured patience if and when they have concerns about workplace safety; (2) voice is reserved for serious safety concerns; and (3) exit is very uncommon and only used as a last resort. Manuscript 2 (Chapter 6) describes the development of age-appropriate measures for general turnover intentions (i.e., exit), and safety-specific voice, patience, and neglect. The reliability, dimensionality, and validity of these scales are demonstrated over three studies. Manuscript 3 (Chapter 7) used an experimental scenario approach in which safety conditions (high vs. low), financial reasons for working (high vs. low), and being injured (injured vs. not injured) are manipulated. The role of participant gender (male vs. female) was also examined. Participants assigned to the injury condition were more likely to exercise patience than those assigned to the non-injury condition. Low quality safety conditions were associated with higher turnover intentions. Finally, females reported higher voice than males. Finally, Manuscript 4 (Chapter 8) reports on findings from a short-term longitudinal design meant to replicate and extend the results from the previous studies. Support for Hirschman’s loyalty proposition was also found. Specifically, felt responsibility for improving safety was found to moderate the relationship between organizational loyalty and both exit and voice. The final chapter integrates these findings and discusses future research directions as well as implications for public policy, management practice, and theory. / Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2010-08-18 13:19:15.634

Globally the domestic worker sector is characterised by a sense of “voicelessness”—an esoteric silence fuelled by a dire need to survive. South Africa is heralded as a global ambassador for the rights of these women. Significant sectoral reforms in recent years regulate the transactional element of this employment relationship through stipulated minimum wages and employment standards. The relational element of this engagement, however, remains underexplored. A decade of global scholarship detailing the hardships that characterise this sector has helped to uncover the plight of domestic workers. The study provided the participants with an opportunity to express their experiences and feelings, and the documented findings will hopefully stimulate more scholarly debate on this issue. It is hoped that the study will engender more sensitivity towards the needs of this vulnerable group of workers and promote positive employment relations within the South African labour market. The study describes the lived realities of domestic workers within the South African labour legislative context through five separate but interrelated journal articles. Article 1 provides a detailed “plan of action” that documents the initial considerations and rationale for the study. Guided by existing scholarly discourse, the research questions are highlighted and the proposed research design is presented. Issues related to trustworthiness are debated. This article constitutes the research proposal that was submitted during the initial phase of this research journey. Article 2 presents a transparent account of the methodological considerations that guided the co-construction of meaning within the South African domestic worker sector. Situated within the interpretivist paradigm, with phenomenology as theoretical underpinning, purposive respondent-driven self-sampling resulted in the recruitment of 20 female participants. All of them can be described as domestic workers in terms of Sectoral Determination 7. The pilot study indicated the value of using metaphors while exploring tentative topics. An interview guide facilitated the exploration of key concepts during our engagement. Rich, dense descriptive verbatim accounts of participants’ lived realities confirmed data saturation. In-depth interviews were transcribed and analysed through an inductive process of data reduction. Emanating themes confirmed that the South African domestic workers sector is far from being voiceless if we are only willing to listen. Making these voices heard constitutes a progressive step in future efforts to empower this neglected sector of the labour market. In article 3 a life-cycle approach is used to explore participants’ lived experiences of their work-life cycle. Each individual progresses through these various phases which are contextualised as a transitional process as a result of their unique circumstances and personal trajectory. Findings confirmed the existence of an institutionalised culture of engagement within the sector perpetuated from one generation to the next. Attempts to exit the sector are unsuccessful due in part to their limited formal education and skills repertoire. The article concludes with the notion that domestic workers are trapped within a never-ending cycle of sectoral engagement, and the possibility of exiting the sector remains “but a dream” for many. Article 4 focusses on the reciprocal interpersonal relatedness that often develops due to the prolonged engagement within the individualised sectoral employment context. Characterised by caring and connectedness, this mutually dignified treatment not only signals but also enhances human flourishing. Participants’ accounts of relational reciprocity are indicative of the enactment of cardinal Ubuntu principles within the employment context. The need for actions that surpass the “letter of the law” in order to enhance flourishing within the South African domestic worker sector is advocated. Article 5 explores the role that legislative awareness fulfils in the everyday lives of domestic workers. Findings indicated that empowerment was an unknown construct for all participants. The participants had little or no confidence in engaging their employers on employment issues; this was due in part to their limited legislative awareness. Domestic workers should thus take ownership of their own empowerment efforts. This will sanction their right to assert their expectations of employment standards with confidence and make use of the judicial system to bring about compliant action. The article concluded with the notion that legislative awareness can result in empowered actions though informed employee voices. / PhD (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Globally the domestic worker sector is characterised by a sense of “voicelessness”—an esoteric silence fuelled by a dire need to survive. South Africa is heralded as a global ambassador for the rights of these women. Significant sectoral reforms in recent years regulate the transactional element of this employment relationship through stipulated minimum wages and employment standards. The relational element of this engagement, however, remains underexplored. A decade of global scholarship detailing the hardships that characterise this sector has helped to uncover the plight of domestic workers. The study provided the participants with an opportunity to express their experiences and feelings, and the documented findings will hopefully stimulate more scholarly debate on this issue. It is hoped that the study will engender more sensitivity towards the needs of this vulnerable group of workers and promote positive employment relations within the South African labour market. The study describes the lived realities of domestic workers within the South African labour legislative context through five separate but interrelated journal articles. Article 1 provides a detailed “plan of action” that documents the initial considerations and rationale for the study. Guided by existing scholarly discourse, the research questions are highlighted and the proposed research design is presented. Issues related to trustworthiness are debated. This article constitutes the research proposal that was submitted during the initial phase of this research journey. Article 2 presents a transparent account of the methodological considerations that guided the co-construction of meaning within the South African domestic worker sector. Situated within the interpretivist paradigm, with phenomenology as theoretical underpinning, purposive respondent-driven self-sampling resulted in the recruitment of 20 female participants. All of them can be described as domestic workers in terms of Sectoral Determination 7. The pilot study indicated the value of using metaphors while exploring tentative topics. An interview guide facilitated the exploration of key concepts during our engagement. Rich, dense descriptive verbatim accounts of participants’ lived realities confirmed data saturation. In-depth interviews were transcribed and analysed through an inductive process of data reduction. Emanating themes confirmed that the South African domestic workers sector is far from being voiceless if we are only willing to listen. Making these voices heard constitutes a progressive step in future efforts to empower this neglected sector of the labour market. In article 3 a life-cycle approach is used to explore participants’ lived experiences of their work-life cycle. Each individual progresses through these various phases which are contextualised as a transitional process as a result of their unique circumstances and personal trajectory. Findings confirmed the existence of an institutionalised culture of engagement within the sector perpetuated from one generation to the next. Attempts to exit the sector are unsuccessful due in part to their limited formal education and skills repertoire. The article concludes with the notion that domestic workers are trapped within a never-ending cycle of sectoral engagement, and the possibility of exiting the sector remains “but a dream” for many. Article 4 focusses on the reciprocal interpersonal relatedness that often develops due to the prolonged engagement within the individualised sectoral employment context. Characterised by caring and connectedness, this mutually dignified treatment not only signals but also enhances human flourishing. Participants’ accounts of relational reciprocity are indicative of the enactment of cardinal Ubuntu principles within the employment context. The need for actions that surpass the “letter of the law” in order to enhance flourishing within the South African domestic worker sector is advocated. Article 5 explores the role that legislative awareness fulfils in the everyday lives of domestic workers. Findings indicated that empowerment was an unknown construct for all participants. The participants had little or no confidence in engaging their employers on employment issues; this was due in part to their limited legislative awareness. Domestic workers should thus take ownership of their own empowerment efforts. This will sanction their right to assert their expectations of employment standards with confidence and make use of the judicial system to bring about compliant action. The article concluded with the notion that legislative awareness can result in empowered actions though informed employee voices. / PhD (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Studien undersöker anställdas röst ur ett organisationskulturellt perspektiv. Anställdas röst avser den kommunikation som sker när en anställd är missnöjd med sin arbetssituation och vill förbättra sin egen och/eller organisationens välbefinnande. Det är på så vis viktigt för en organisations möjlighet till utveckling, vilket i sin tur är en central del för organisationer i dagens konkurrerande samhälle. Organisationskulturen har en stor inverkan på individers beteenden. Ofta undviker anställda att göra sin röst hörd vilket är ett problem som många inte känner till. Mer kompetens och forskning inom ämnet är därför viktigt. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med ÅF:s (Ångpanneföreningens) anställda, Carneys abstraktionsstege och Scheins kulturnivåer, undersöker vi hur en organisationskultur kan påverka anställdas röst. Studien utgår från tre frågeställningar där vi genom de två första urskiljer ÅF:s kulturnivåer och genom den sista svarar på hur ÅF:s organisationskultur främjar respektive hämmar anställdas röst. Resultatet visar att kulturnivåerna och deras interrelation indirekt och direkt påverkar anställdas röst. Om de är främjande och/eller hämmande beror på kulturens underliggande element. Kulturelement med positiv koppling till välvilja, prosocialt beteende och utveckling har visat sig vara viktiga främjande faktorer för anställdas röst. Kulturen visar sig även vara en viktig faktor i vad som anses vara tillräckligt relevant information för att göra sin röst hörd. / The study examines employee voice from an organisational cultural perspective. Employee voice refers to the communication that occurs when an employee is dissatisfied with its work situation and wants to improve its own and/or the organisation's wellbeing. Employee voice is important for an organisation's potential for development, which in turn is central for organisations of today's competitive society. The organisational culture has a major impact on individuals' behaviour. Employees often avoid voice, which is a problem that many do not know. More expertise and research in the area is therefore important. Through qualitative interviews with ÅF’s (Ångpanneföreningen) employees, Carney’s abstraction ladder and Schein’s levels of culture, we investigate how an organisational culture influences employee voice. The study is based on three questions, where we through the first two discern ÅF’s cultural levels. The third question answers how ÅF’s organisational culture is promoting and/or inhibiting employee voice. The result shows that the cultural levels and their inter-relationship have indirect and direct effects on employee voice. The effect depends on the culture’s underlying elements. Cultural elements that positively links to kindliness, prosocial behaviour and development, have proven to promote employee voice. The culture also appears to have an effect on what information is considered relevant enough for employee voice.

Nesta tese se estuda como empresas brasileiras e espanholas lidam com a diversidade humana em seu ambiente organizacional e se a microgestão de RH, ou seja, a gestão de pessoas e equipes com um sistema de voz, pode ser um componente significativo da gestão da diversidade. Esse objetivo de pesquisa advém da compreensão, obtida por meio do levantamento do estado da arte sobre esse tema, de que as ações organizacionais na diversidade podem não atender as demandas e expectativas dos trabalhadores, pois sua voz frequentemente não é ouvida a respeito dessa gestão. Para esse intento, o desenho metodológico firma-se na abordagem qualitativa, de natureza exploratória e sob o paradigma construtivista. Foram feitas entrevistas individuais e em grupo em três empresas, resultando em cinco unidades estudadas: uma brasileira e uma espanhola, do segmento de transporte público; e duas brasileiras e outra espanhola, do segmento de energia. Para o tratamento de dados recorreu-se à técnica de análise de conteúdo, suportados por observação assistemática e análise de documentos corporativos. Os resultados de pesquisa sugerem que a microgestão de RH pode colaborar para a efetividade de práticas organizacionais e, ainda, apontam para a necessidade da capacidade de escuta organizacional como componente de um sistema de voz que facilite o diálogo na empresa, por estimular a confiança e propiciar melhor clima de trabalho para as pessoas na organização. / This thesis explores how a sample of Brazilian and Spanish companies dealing with human diversity in its organizational environment and whether the Micro Human Resources Management (MHRM), or people and teams management with a voice system, might be a significant component of diversity management. The main goal of this research arises from understanding obtained through the research of the state of the art on this subject, that diversity related organizational actions can not meet the demands and expectations of employees mostly because, because their voices on the matter is hardly ever heard. To reach this goal a qualitative, exploratory research approach grounded on the constructivist paradigm was employed. Individual and group level interviews were conducted in three companies (five organizational units in total): two from the public transport segmentation (one Brazilian and one Spanish) and three from the energy segmentation (two Brazilian and one Spanish). Content analysis, document analysis and unsystematic observation were employed as a means to analyze the data collected/elicited. As a whole, the findings emerging from this research suggest that the MHRM can contribute to the effectiveness of diversity related organizational practices. They also point to the need for organizational listening skills as a key component of a voice system that might facilitate within-organizational dialogue, to stimulate confidence and provide a better working environment for organizational members.

Nesta tese se estuda como empresas brasileiras e espanholas lidam com a diversidade humana em seu ambiente organizacional e se a microgestão de RH, ou seja, a gestão de pessoas e equipes com um sistema de voz, pode ser um componente significativo da gestão da diversidade. Esse objetivo de pesquisa advém da compreensão, obtida por meio do levantamento do estado da arte sobre esse tema, de que as ações organizacionais na diversidade podem não atender as demandas e expectativas dos trabalhadores, pois sua voz frequentemente não é ouvida a respeito dessa gestão. Para esse intento, o desenho metodológico firma-se na abordagem qualitativa, de natureza exploratória e sob o paradigma construtivista. Foram feitas entrevistas individuais e em grupo em três empresas, resultando em cinco unidades estudadas: uma brasileira e uma espanhola, do segmento de transporte público; e duas brasileiras e outra espanhola, do segmento de energia. Para o tratamento de dados recorreu-se à técnica de análise de conteúdo, suportados por observação assistemática e análise de documentos corporativos. Os resultados de pesquisa sugerem que a microgestão de RH pode colaborar para a efetividade de práticas organizacionais e, ainda, apontam para a necessidade da capacidade de escuta organizacional como componente de um sistema de voz que facilite o diálogo na empresa, por estimular a confiança e propiciar melhor clima de trabalho para as pessoas na organização. / This thesis explores how a sample of Brazilian and Spanish companies dealing with human diversity in its organizational environment and whether the Micro Human Resources Management (MHRM), or people and teams management with a voice system, might be a significant component of diversity management. The main goal of this research arises from understanding obtained through the research of the state of the art on this subject, that diversity related organizational actions can not meet the demands and expectations of employees mostly because, because their voices on the matter is hardly ever heard. To reach this goal a qualitative, exploratory research approach grounded on the constructivist paradigm was employed. Individual and group level interviews were conducted in three companies (five organizational units in total): two from the public transport segmentation (one Brazilian and one Spanish) and three from the energy segmentation (two Brazilian and one Spanish). Content analysis, document analysis and unsystematic observation were employed as a means to analyze the data collected/elicited. As a whole, the findings emerging from this research suggest that the MHRM can contribute to the effectiveness of diversity related organizational practices. They also point to the need for organizational listening skills as a key component of a voice system that might facilitate within-organizational dialogue, to stimulate confidence and provide a better working environment for organizational members.

Abstract  Linnaeus University – Campus Kalmar School of Business and Economics Leadership and Management in International Contexts (60 credits)  Title: Transformational Leadership in the Chinese Culture – A Quantitative Study on the Impact of Transformational Leadership on Chinese Internet Companies’ Performance.  This research aims to study how transformational leadership affects organizational performance and the mediation effect of employee voice behaviour. A quantitative research method and a deductive research approach were used for this research study, where theoretical concepts were developed. Several hypotheses were derived as means to test the existing theories regarding research variables. The data in this research was collected through a 384 completed online survey questionnaire from employees of the top ten listed Chinese internet companies. Various statistical techniques, including Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and mediation effect testing, were implemented to provide evidence for hypothesis testing. The statistical analysis results indicate that a particular dimension of transformational leadership positively impacts Chinese internet companies’ performance, and employee voice behaviour has a partial mediation effect in this relationship.

No description available.

Yes / Most research on Employee Involvement (EI) has focused on large or 'mainstream' organizations. By adopting those schemes which 'appear' to work well in larger organizations, then smaller firms assume there will be enhanced employee commitment beyond formal contractual requirements. The main question in this paper is whether EI schemes designed by management will suffice under the 2004 Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations. It focuses on SMEs which tend to favour informal and direct EI, and it remains unclear how these methods will be played out under the new regulatory environment. Evidence from four case studies is presented here and it suggests that the ICE Regulations impose new challenges for smaller firms given their tendency to provide information rather than consult with employees. It also appears organizational factors, workplace relations history and the way processes are implemented at enterprise level may be far more important than size itself.

Using modeling and computer simulation, this research focuses on studying two different views to organizational design and their implications for performance in the context of academic institutions. One view represents the manifest structure that includes resources (students, faculty, administration, facilities, finances, partners, donors, etc.); the other view represents the latent structure that focuses on dissent. The dissertation addresses the following two questions; 1. What are the tangible dynamic interdependencies constituting the manifest structure within academic institutions and their impact on performance? 2. What is the impact of the latent structures composed of intangible organizational processes, especially dissent, on performance? The dissertation proposes generic system dynamics simulation models untangling the complexity of the topic by tackling various slices of the problem in separate papers. The models are based on three different theoretical frameworks addressing resources and their composition, dissent, and stakeholder engagement. It is observed that while both the manifest and the latent parts of the university organization impact its performance, the latent part, being invisible, is often ignored. In the long run, the influence of the latent part of the organization can slowly but seriously compromise intangible performances components like quality, reputation, and attractiveness. When the manifest part of the organization is dysfunctional, its tangible performance rapidly suffers. The damage control policies will often impact the latent organizational performance leading the institution into a vicious cycle. The presence of time delays in this framework may create an oscillatory behavior that might modulate a growth or decline trend. Performance measures addressing intangible performance components must be factored into the organizational design since faculty, students, and other stakeholders are not only driven by financial rewards, but also by the organizational environment. The research, besides addressing the important question of the role of latent elements in organization design and demonstrating this can be done using system dynamics modeling and computer simulation, should also be of value to the design and management of higher education institutions.