Little empirical work has been conducted on workplace practices in university settings. Meanwhile, the impact of feedback on changing consumption patterns has been mainly studied through individualistic approaches. The academic workplace with its variety of users offers a setting that could provide a range of insights as to how practices form and change under the impact of efficiency interventions and, in turn, how relevant policies could be formed. This research looks at workplace practices related to the regulation of indoor temperature and the use of office equipment. It examines the potential of reducing energy usage in the workplace through a case study on the understanding of and interventions in practices using consumption feedback. A framework based on social practice theory is applied where daily practices are configured by routines, technologies, knowledge and meanings. The research takes place in a UK university building, where the provision of real-time consumption feedback through a display is employed to raise energy awareness. It follows a case study approach featuring three different office typologies and associated user groups: the shared, enclosed administrative office; the PhD open-plan office, and the post-doctoral cellular office. The study begins with an examination of the thermal characteristics and comfort preferences in the case study offices. It then examines how users shape their practices in the workplace. Finally, it observes the impact of feedback through real-time displays on the reduction of energy consumption. A mixed methods approach is employed combining qualitative and quantitative data. Semi- structured interviews and on-site observations are cross-related to environmental conditions monitoring, electricity audits and thermal comfort diaries. Data collection takes place in two phases— (February 2014 and July 2014) —to capture differences in practices between the winter and summer as well as before and after the installation of real-time displays. By exploring the empirical evidence through a practice theory framework, this research shows how social dynamics, the difference between the notion of comfort at home and work, and striving for productivity can prefigure ‘passive’ thermal comfort practices in the workplace. The real-time displays did not trigger change despite the fact electricity audits revealed a savings potential related to high standby use. The inadequacy of building maintenance structures, significant installation delays and the type of projected information were the main factors restricting change. The use of a practice approach advanced the understanding as to why it is so difficult to save energy at work and use feedback as a successful intervention. The combination of qualitative enquiry and energy audits meanwhile indicated the potential source of savings.

In spite of the substantial repository of literature about respirators, little is known about the practicalities of their use. The focus of this research was about the practical aspects of using respirators in New South Wales workplaces. Two self-administered postal surveys were used to assess the level of implementation of respirator programs in 1996 and 2001. After five years, six elements improved. The most improvement was seen in the area of documentation including written procedures, keeping training records, recording respirator tasks, and maintenance records. The second survey investigated respirator maintenance and found little automated cleaning. Thorough washing was scarce with more than 50% of organisations relying on moist towelettes. For the third portion of the research methodology 485 used, half facepiece reusable respirators from 36 different sites were examined to determine the most common respirator defects. Maintenance and cleaning procedures were primitive and probably inadequate. Disinfection or sanitisation was common practice indicating concern about infectious diseases. The 2001 survey found that physical inspection of respirators in the workplace usually checked for the common types of defects found in the examination of used respirators. Weight, breathing resistance, heat and tightness were reported as causes of discomfort. The key outcomes from the research were that respirator programs were poorly implemented in a group of organisations that were expected to have more expertise than most and that the most common defects could be corrected by good respirator cleaning programs. / Doctor of Philosphy (PhD)

This study addresses the question of how an individual’s perception of the safety of his or her institutional space impacts on shame management skills. Shame has been widely recognised as a core emotion that can readily take the form of anger and violence in interpersonal relationships if it is unresolved. When shame is not acknowledged properly, feelings of shame build up and lead to shame-rage spirals that break down social bonds between people. Some might consider the total avoidance of shame experiences as a way to cut the link between shame and violence. However, there is a reason why we cannot just discard the experience of shame. Shame is a self-regulatory emotion (Braithwaite, 1989, 2002; Ahmed et al., 2001). If one feels shame over wrongdoing, one is less likely to re-offend in the future. That is to say, shame is a destructive emotion on the one hand in the way it can destroy our social bonds, but on the other hand, it is a moral emotion that reflects capacity to regulate each other and ourselves. This paradoxical nature of shame gives rise to the necessity of managing shame in a socially adaptive way. A group of scholars in the field of shame has argued that institutions can be designed in such a way that they create safe space that allows people to feel shame and manage shame without its adverse consequences (Ahmed et al., 2001). This means that people would feel safe to acknowledge shame and accept the consequences of their actions without fear of stigmatisation or the disruption of social bonds. Without fear, there would be less likelihood of displacing shame, that is, blaming others and expressing shame as anger towards others. The context adopted for empirically examining shame management in this study is workplace bullying. Bullying has become a dangerous phenomenon in our workplace that imposes significant costs on employers, employees, their families and industries as a whole (Einarsen et al., 2003a). Teachers belong to a professional group that is reputed to be seriously affected by bullying at work. Teachers from Australia and Korea completed self-report questionnaires anonymously. Three shame management styles were identified: shame acknowledgement, shame displacement and (shame) withdrawal. The likely strengths of these shame management styles were investigated in terms of three factors postulated as contributions to institutional safe space: that is, 1) cultural value orientations, 2) the salience of workgroup identity, and 3) problem resolution practices at work. The present thesis suggests that further consideration should be given to institutional interventions that support and maintain institutional safe space and that encourage shame acknowledgement, while dampening the adverse effect of defensive shame management. The evidence presented in this thesis is a first step in demonstrating that institutional safe space and shame management skills are empirically measurable, are relevant in other cultural contexts and address issues that are at the heart of the human condition everywhere........ [For the full Abstract, see the PDF files below]

The topic of high performance workplace practices and their impact on organizational performance has been extensively researched in US and UK. Increasingly evidence with regard to diffusion of high performance workplace practices is emerging from fast developing Asian economies. However, very little is known about the state of diffusion of high performance workplace practices in Pakistan, a South Asian economy on route to industrialization. This study attempts to explore the diffusion of high performance workplace practices among the multinational and local firms in the important industrial sectors of banking, information technology and pharmaceutical in Pakistan that are characterized by high level of inward foreign direct investment. Recently the Pakistani Government has passed laws to encourage greater use of HPWS practices amongst domestic firms. This study compares the prevalence of HPWS practices in domestic firms to that in multinationals. MNCs are chosen as a competitor because they have been seen as being at forefront of HPWS use. First of all, the study explored an overall diffusion of high performance workplace practices in Pakistan and determined the state of differences with regard to diffusion of the practices between the establishments of multinational and local firms. Secondly, the study further explored the differences by taking into account the role of control variables such as age, size, percentage of non-managerial employees and nature of business at the establishment. The most important argument underpinning the high performance paradigm is that practices have substantial impact on human resource and performance outcomes of a firm. Thus the third objective of the study was to test and report the association of individual practices with various performance outcomes for a sample of local firms in Pakistan. The study observed whether such claims are valid for the local Pakistani establishments that implement such practices in hope of achieving better performance outcomes. The study found that a number of practices had a consistent and significant association with various performance outcomes across the industrial sectors in Pakistan. The results of the study suggest that latest innovations in human resource management in advanced industrial economies have fast spread among establishments in Pakistan. Moreover the results also suggest that arguments of high performance theory, in particular the universalistic/ best practice model hold ground when it comes to the diffusion of such practices in developing economies such as Pakistan with some caveats.

This dissertation seeks to comprehend and respond to deterioration in what is considered to be a very significant foundation of human flourishing - a sense of vigour, vitality, purpose and meaningfulness in work. The term flourishing in the workplace is offered both in the sense that work satisfies a person's economic needs (fair pay and job security) and in the sense that it satisfies a person's deeper sense of vocation, of Spirit-led calling. This dissertation responds to the concerns that the postmodern workplace, for a number of reasons, inhibits a person's ability to flourish. Yet, this dissertation will argue, there is a deep thirst for meaningfulness in our daily endeavour. We are settling for less. From the research conducted, this dissertation develops an approach to practices of leadership that bring about deep purpose to be derived from our work. Further, this dissertation develops an approach for ministry that might facilitate these Spirit-led practices. The premise is that leadership that is self-centred must be transformed into leadership that is other-centred. Leadership is conceived as critical to the nurturing of human flourishing, ultimately affecting our behaviours beyond the workplace. There are two dimensions to the qualitative research designed for this dissertation, as described by the questionnaires completed by research respondents. The first is to seek an unaided broad response to questions regarding peoples' sense of purpose, self-esteem, value, and self-actualization. The second is to seek an understanding of the degree to which such responses are shaped by a person's sense of faith. Beyond these dimensions, the research explores the extent to which respondents engage with a minister or spiritual counsellor.

隨著台灣經濟快速發展，現今女性的教育水準愈來愈高，在社會扮演的角色也愈來愈重要。然而，女性在面對工作生活平衡時，相較男性更受不同角色的衝突所影響；大多職業女性在面臨照顧小孩與工作的兩難時，往往會優先選擇全職照顧子女。另一方面，僱主常以「工作不勝任」、「試用期間不適任」來作解僱懷孕員工理由，或不顧及其安全，照常要求其從事粗重的工作。因此，提供懷孕與產後女性員工一個能夠免於就業歧視、友善對待及兼顧工作與家庭之職場環境為相當重要。 而做為台灣勞工密集、經濟發展主力的中小企業，常被認為因資源短缺而給予員工較為不完善的友善職場措施與福利，難道當中沒有一些中小企業特別著重關懷懷孕與產後女性員工，擁有更完善之相關友善職場措施規劃嗎？因此，本文欲探討曾於中小企業CSR獎中【幸福職場】項目的企業，再與非得獎企業分別於「達到法規標準相關友善措施」、「法規規範以外相關友善措施」、「措施自由使用度」三大項目進行比較，從而深入了解台灣中小企業對於懷孕與產後女性員工之友善職場措施規劃與實施狀況為何，希望藉由此研究歸納出一些管理實務建議給予中小企業作參考之用。 / As Taiwan’s economy is developing rapidly, women’s education levels get much higher, and their social roles become more important. However, when most of employed women facing the conflicts between taking care of their children and their jobs, they always choose to spend their time fully with their children in priority. On the other hand, employers often use “job incompetence” or “incompetence during probation” as excuses to dismiss pregnant employees, or disregard their safety and instruct them to deal with tough works as usual. Therefore, it is essential to offer pregnant and after-partum female employees a friendly workplace environment. Taiwan SMEs, being the most labor-intensive and the main power of Taiwan economic development, are always known as providing employees with few well-instructed friendly workplace practices and welfare due to lack of resources. However, does it mean that no SMEs have ever offered pregnant and post-partum employees friendly workplace practices? Therefore, this study wants to investigate those companies which have been awarded [Happy Workplace] prize of SMEs CSR prize, and then compare to those companies which have not yet awarded in terms of “meeting regulatory standards”, “more than regulatory standards” and “the freedom to use” of friendly workplace practices for pregnant and post-partum employees, so as to understand deeply the situation of implementing those related practices, and provide some practical advices to Taiwan SMEs for future use.

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