The dual path effect mechanism study of digital-HRM on employee innovative performance and cyberloafing

In recent years, an increasing number of companies have begun implementing digital-HRM. However, much of the existing research primarily discusses digital-HRM from a "thing" perspective or explores its consequences at the organizational level. There has been limited research focusing on individual employees, particularly on how digital-HRM impacts their psychological states and performance. Drawing on job demands-resources theory, this study examines the relationship between digital-HRM and employee innovative performance, as well as cyberloafing. We conducted a time-lagged study involving 487 employees across various industries in China and employed partial least squares path modeling. The results suggest that digital-HRM enhances employee innovative performance by increasing the sense of work gain, while it reduces cyberloafing by decreasing relative deprivation. Perceived ease of technology use was found to positively moderate these relationships. By rigorously investigating the critical psychological mechanisms of the sense of work gain and relative deprivation, and the essential boundary condition of perceived ease of technology use, this study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework that deepens our understanding of how digital-HRM, as an emerging job resource in the digital era, influences employee behavior. Adopting a human-centered approach, the research theoretically extends the study of digital-HRM's impact at the individual level and finds that digital-HRM influences employee performance in a mutually beneficial manner. These findings provide practical insights for organizations to actively implement digital-HRM and maximize its benefits.

The impact of internet usage preferences on labor income: Evidence from China

BACKGROUND

The widespread application and iterative updating of computers and Internet communication technologies have not only increased productivity and enhanced intra- and inter-enterprise collaboration, but have also led to significant changes in the labor market and residents' labor income. In the digital era, accepting digital technology and possessing a certain degree of digital literacy have become the necessary abilities for people to survive and develop. However, the differences in digital literacy caused by individual differences will inevitably bring about a series of chain reactions. Therefore, it is necessary to study the subtle impact of Internet usage preference on residents' labor income in the context of digital transformation to promote digital equity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to empirically analyze micro-level survey data to reveal the impact of individual differences in internet usage preferences on their labor income. The findings provide theoretical references for government policy formulation and individual development.

METHODS

A function model was established to analyze the impact of individual internet usage preferences on labor income. Relevant data from the authoritative Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS2017) were selected, and empirical analyses for significance, heterogeneity, and robustness were conducted using the ZINB and CMP models in the Stata statistical software.

CONCLUSION

(1) Higher Internet Usage Frequency (IUF) increases the likelihood of higher income. (2) Engaging in Online Social Networking (OSN) helps in accumulating social capital, leading to higher labor income. Meanwhile, participating in Online Entertainment (OE) relieves work and life stresses, thereby increasing labor income. Proficiency in Accessing Online Information (AOI) is associated with higher labor income, while frequent involvement in Online Business (OB) is correlated with higher personal income. Additionally, the Marginal utility of these internet usage preferences indicate that OB > AOI > OSN > OE. (3) Individual variations in physical, psychological, and social characteristics significantly influence the labor income effects of internet usage preferences. (4) There are substantial differences in the labor income effects of internet usage preferences between urban and rural areas and across different regions. (5) Education attainment has a positive mediating effect on the labour income effect of individual Internet use preferences, and enhancing residents' digital literacy has a positive effect on increasing their labour income and alleviating inequality in digital gains. (6) The popularity of Internet technology is the background that triggers an individual's Internet use, and the acceptance of a particular Internet technology is catalyzed by an individual's perception of the value and difficulty of mastering that technology; an individual's biased learning or proficiency in a particular Internet technology in order to gain higher competitiveness and value in the labour market is an important internal driving force.

Updating design guidelines for cognitive ergonomics in human-centred collaborative robotics applications: An expert survey

Within the framework of Industry 5.0, human factors are essential for enhancing the work conditions and well-being of operators interacting with even more advanced and smart manufacturing systems and machines and increasing production performances. Nevertheless, cognitive ergonomics is often underestimated when implementing advanced industrial human-robot interaction. Thus, this work aims to systematically update, develop, and validate guidelines to assist non-experts in the early stages of the design of anthropocentric and collaborative assembly applications by focusing on the main features that have positively influenced workers' cognitive responses. A methodology for structured development has been proposed. The draft guidelines have been created starting from the outcomes of a systematic and extended screening of the scientific literature. Preliminary validation has been carried out with the help of researchers working in the field. Inputs on comprehensibility and relevance have been gathered to enhance the guidelines. Lastly, a survey was used to examine in depth how international experts in different branches can interpret such guidelines. In total, 108 responders were asked to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the guideline's comprehensibility and provide general comments or suggestions for each guideline. Based on the survey's results, the guidelines have been validated and some have been reviewed and re-written in their final form. The present work highlights that integrating human factors into the design of collaborative applications can significantly bolster manufacturing operations' resilience through inclusivity and system adaptability by enhancing worker safety, ergonomics, and wellbeing.

Evaluating human resources management literacy: A performance analysis of ChatGPT and bard

This study presents a comprehensive analysis comparing the literacy levels of two Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools, ChatGPT and Bard, using a dataset of 134 questions from the Human Resources (HR) domain. The generated responses are evaluated for accuracy, relevance, and clarity. We find that ChatGPT outperforms Bard in overall accuracy (84.3% vs. 82.8%). This difference in performance suggests that ChatGPT could serve as a robotic advisor in transactional HR roles. In contrast, Bard may possess additional safeguards against misuse in the HR function, making it less capable of generating responses to certain types of questions. Statistical tests reveal that although the two systems differ in their mean accuracy, relevance, and clarity of the responses, the observed differences are not always statistically significant, implying that both tools may be more complementary than competitive. The Pearson correlation coefficients further support this by showing weak to non-existent relationships in performance metrics between the two tools. Confirmation queries don't improve ChatGPT or Bard's response accuracy. The study thus contributes to emerging research on the utility of GAI tools in Human Resources Management and suggests that involving certified HR professionals in the design phase could enhance underlying language model performance.

Procedures for transferring organizational knowledge during generational change: A systematic review

The loss of organizational knowledge has emerged as a prevalent issue for 21st-century organizations. This systematic review aims to scrutinize knowledge transfer procedures applied to individuals in managerial and intermediate positions during generational change or knowledge management initiatives. Following the PRISMA statement [1], this review progressed through four stages, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, and ultimately identifying 28 articles for the final analysis. Descriptive indicators and content-related metrics were employed in the study. Key findings include: (1) predominant investment in knowledge retention studies and procedure design is observed among large companies, primarily in the secondary sector; (2) digitalization emerges as a critical aspect of effective organizational knowledge transfer procedures and protocols; (3) intra-organizational communication styles are predominantly employed for knowledge transfer; (4) organizations prefer a collective approach to transferring both tacit and explicit knowledge. In summary, this research offers fresh insights into a pivotal area of business management, showcasing originality in its exploration of knowledge transfer within the realms of generational change and knowledge management.

I Do Not Want to Miss a Thing! Consequences of Employees' Workplace Fear of Missing Out for ICT Use, Well-Being, and Recovery Experiences

As more and more employees have access to work-related information and communication technologies (ICTs) anywhere and anytime, new challenges arise in terms of well-being and recovery experiences. Feelings of workplace fear of missing Out (wFoMO) and workplace telepressure may be personal demands that add to the literature of the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory. In this study, we proposed a model in which wFoMO and workplace telepressure were associated with employee well-being variables via the use of ICTs during leisure time. Therefore, we analyzed the data of N = 130 employees who answered two questionnaires in the interval of one work week. The results revealed negative indirect effects between wFoMO/workplace telepressure and psychological detachment/perceived stress via ICT use. The results were more ambivalent regarding the dependent variables burnout, relaxation, and control. This strengthens the literature that categorized ICT use as a job demand. However, we also found positive indirect effects on perceived informational benefits, which supports the idea of ICTs being both a job demand and a job resource in light of the JD-R theory. This study contributes to past research on work-related ICT use during leisure time and demonstrates the relevance of personal demands such as wFoMO for employees' well-being.

A two-wave study on the effects of cognitive demands of flexible work on cognitive flexibility, work engagement and fatigue

Cognitive demands of flexible work are the specific cognitive demands of planning of working times, planning of working places, structuring of work tasks and coordinating with others that arise from flexible work organisation. Although these demands have become increasingly widespread, their consequences are not well understood. We propose that cognitive demands of flexible work are challenge stressors that can benefit employees, by adding to their cognitive flexibility and work engagement, but also impair employees by causing fatigue. Hypotheses were tested using a two-wave study design in a sample that recently switched to a more flexible work organisation (N = 279). Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. We found that planning of working times and planning of working places were related to increases in cognitive flexibility, and coordinating with others was related to increases in work engagement. No significant relations with fatigue were found. Thus, the results suggest that cognitive demands of flexible work helped employees to personally develop and feel motivated at work. However, effects on work engagement were rather small. Future research should control potential confounding variables more thoroughly and examine effects on short-term strain outcomes.

Autonomy in the context of cognitive demands-is the resource becoming a stressor?

OBJECTIVE

Autonomy is often associated with positive linear effects on health whereas non-linear correlations have received only sporadic attention. Assuming that the use of autonomy also represents a cognitive demand, this study examines whether health effects of autonomy change depending on further cognitive demands and whether curvilinear relationships can be identified.

METHODS

A survey was carried out in three SMEs with established work analysis questionnaires. 197 Employees were classified into groups with high and with low cognitive demands by means of a two-step cluster analysis. This was modeled as moderator together with curvilinear effects of autonomy in regression analyses.

RESULTS

Curvilinear associations were found for emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and anxiety. They were strongest for anxiety. No moderating effects of cognitive demands and no consistently significant modeled relations were found.

CONCLUSION

The results confirm that autonomy has a positive influence on the health of employees. However, autonomy should not be seen as an isolated resource but embedded in the organizational and societal context.

The effect of digital literacy on technology acceptance: An evaluation on administrative staff in higher education

Digital literacy is a critical skill that administrative staff must acquire to continue their business activities at higher education. However, digital literacy studies for administrative staff seem to be neglected in the current literature. This article examines the impact of higher education administrative staff’s digital literacy on their intention to use digital technologies while performing their tasks. For this purpose, a conceptual model consisting of effort expectancy and performance expectancy structures based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and expanded with the digital literacy dimension has been created. Data were collected from 158 participants who were administrative staff of two higher education institutions in Türkiye to evaluate the theoretical model. The data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. The findings revealed the relationship between the digital literacy skills of higher education administrative staff and their intention to use digital technology. According to the results, digital literacy has a direct effect on effort expectancy but not on performance expectancy. Also, contrary to our expectations, digital literacy does not directly affect the intention to use. However, digital literacy affects the intention to use digital technology through effort expectancy and performance expectancy. In higher education, personnel with low digital literacy skills should be identified and in-service training should be provided. This is one of the first studies to address the impact of digital literacy on technology acceptance by administrative staff working in higher education.

Arbeitsanforderungen und Ressourcen der digitalen Mediennutzung bei Lehrkräften

Hintergrund

Die Nutzung digitaler Medien ist für einen Teil der Lehrkräfte mit einem erhöhten Belastungserleben verbunden. Stress, der durch negative Aspekte der digitalen Mediennutzung entsteht, wird unter dem Begriff „digitaler Stress“ oder „Technostress“ v. a. in internationalen Studien untersucht. Für deutsche Lehrkräfte ist die Befundlage hingegen rar. Dem gegenüberstehend scheint ein weiterer Teil der Lehrkräfte geringere Schwierigkeiten mit der fortschreitenden Implementierung digitaler Medien in den Schulalltag zu haben und stattdessen von den Vorteilen digitaler Medien zu profitieren. Empirisch vernachlässigt wurde dabei die Frage, inwiefern sich diese Vorteile als Ressource positiv auf Stress und Wohlbefinden der Lehrkräfte auswirken können.

Ziel

Ziel der Studie ist es, eine Zusammenstellung von potenziellen Einflussfaktoren der digitalen Mediennutzung auf Stress und Wohlbefinden von Lehrkräften aus Deutschland zu erhalten, diese datengeleitet zu strukturieren und hinsichtlich ihrer Wichtigkeit zu bewerten.

Methode

Es wurde die Group-concept-mapping(GCM)-Methode mit 44 angehenden Lehrkräften der Universität Koblenz-Landau durchgeführt.

Schlussfolgerung

Die erzielte Strukturierung zeigt in Verbindung mit der bewerteten Wichtigkeit die Bedeutung positiver Auswirkungen der digitalen Mediennutzung für das Wohlbefinden von Lehrkräften sowie die Relevanz schulischer Rahmenbedingungen auf.

Unfolding sustainable auditing ecosystem formation path through digitalization transformation: How digital intelligence of accountant fosters the digitalization capabilities

This research aims at indulging a consistent image of how Digitalization Capabilities (DC) demonstrates an impact on Sustainable Auditing Ecosystem (SAE) within public sector organizations (PSOs) in developing countries, especial in an emerging market, and gives insights regarding to divergent impacts of the interconnection between DC and SAE moderated by different levels of Accountants' Digital Intelligence (ADI). The state-of-the-art structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to statistically analyze the survey data collected from self-administered questionnaire distributed to a convenient sample of 323 respondents. Additionally, multi-group analysis (MGA) was implemented to explore the heterogeneity of data and examined substance of the difference in the parameters caused by the moderating variable. The obtained results advocated that it was paramount for PSOs to increase DC for SAE formulation. The MGA findings highlighted a statistically significant difference in the impacts of DC on SAE between various levels of ADI. The insights acquired from final model emerged as a foundation which might buttress policymakers and PSOs' practitioners in initiatives development pertaining to digitalization for SAE formulation.

Leadership's long arm: The positive influence of digital leadership on managing technology-driven change over a strengthened service innovation capacity

Introduction

In this qualitative study, we examine digital leadership (DL) capabilities and their positive influence on the management of technology-driven change by leveraging service innovations. The context of digital transformation (DT) has triggered a new leadership paradigm, among others referred to as digital leadership (DL). However, despite its practical relevance, leadership research has yet paid little attention to conceptualise DL as an approach to digitally transform organisations.

Methods

Drawing on mid- and top-level mangers' experiences with service innovation projects, and based on Grounded Theory, we develop a taxonomy of DL-related capabilities and a conceptual framework which exemplifies their influences on dynamic service innovation capabilities (DSICs). DSICs build on the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) and represent the "organisational muscle" to repeatedly deliver service innovations indicating an effective management of technology-driven change.

Results and Discussion

Taxonomy results show that aggregated dimensions in terms of a digital leader's personal, social, and organisational capital serve as underpinnings (DL-related capabilities) to drive strategic change in DT contexts. The conceptual framework further reveals that especially the personal and organisational capital of a digital leader owns several strong and moderate influences on DSICs which demonstrates DL's "long arm" on the management of technology-driven change. Our findings contribute to leadership research by advancing the conceptualisation of DL and by adding a novel micro-foundational perspective towards the DCV discourse. As organisations struggle to realise the full benefits of DT initiatives, our results also provide a valuable contribution for practitioners by supporting them to strategically prepare for the human-related challenges of DT.

Digital Transformation: Inevitable Change or Sizable Opportunity? The Strategic Role of HR Management in Industry 4.0

Background: The impact of technologies on workers has been a recurring theme in occupational health psychology. In particular, the sudden digital transformation of the last two decades, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has stressed the urgency to investigate new ways of working that are characterized by flexibility and a constant increase of autonomy. In this perspective, this study aims to investigate the state of the art of the innovation process in Italian factories, explore whether and how digitalization can be seen as an opportunity, and imagine a new way of working characterized by adaptability, resilience, and openness to change. Methods: Thirty in-depth interviews of Italian experts in HR management were collected and analyzed using a mix-method approach. Results: The findings underline the Italian HR experts’ perceptions of the risks associated with rapid changes required by technological progress in terms of workers’ wellbeing and satisfaction and suggest how important it is that organizations rapidly set up learning and training programs to guide workers to the acquisition of new skills required by Industry 4.0. Conclusions: Future workplaces will be characterized by extreme versatility, which requires workers to increasingly have both technical and soft skills as well as the ability to collaborate and build functional relationships.

Are library staff autonomous? The influence of routines and the development of workarounds

As knowledge workers, library staff are assumed to be highly autonomous, meaning that they are in control of how work is done. Yet, this work is heavily influenced by the expectations of others, and the expectation to take control can pressure staff to overwork. In this qualitative study, 13 public library staff members engaged in think-alouds (TAs) and semi-structured interviews (SSIs) aimed at uncovering potential misalignments between a staff member’s own prescriptive expectations for library work and the expectations of management, customers, colleagues, and technological and material artifacts. Findings suggest that public library staff have several expectations for how work will be done and, at times, want the freedom to control work in ways that match these expectations. They devise and implement defiance workarounds aimed at reinforcing their own expectations in the face of conflicting expectations from other system actors. Yet, autonomy is a multifaceted concept that goes beyond the mere need for control and, sometimes, giving up control meant that other needs were fulfilled. This study advances research on the nature of workplace autonomy and the active role of workers in its expression. This study also has implications for library management, as it suggests important considerations for shared autonomy and workplace relationships, as well as the need to engage in efforts aimed at shifting problematic expectations in the library work system.

Criteria and Guidelines for Human-Centered Work Design in a Digitally Transformed World of Work: Findings from a Formal Consensus Process

With the increasing digital transformation, work tasks are changing-in some cases, significantly. Our study addresses the question of whether the established criteria for work design are still sufficient or if they should get updated and additional criteria become necessary in the context of digitalization. In a multistage consensus process involving interdisciplinary groups of experts, we have identified specific criteria for the humane design of work in a world increasingly permeated by digitalized work tools. Starting with an expert workshop using a combined nominal group/focus group technique, followed by a real-time Delphi study, a content analysis and a five-stage peer comment process, we detected 13 criteria and 38 design guidelines for human-centered work in digital transformation. Mapping these with established criteria, it became apparent that some established criteria have experienced a new dynamic because of the digital transformation. For other criteria, a need for digitization-sensitive design is discernible. In addition, criteria have emerged whose necessity is rooted in the digital transformation. A diffusion and stronger interconnection of the various levels of the work system in connection with the digital transformation of work is apparent.

New work situations call for familiar work design methods: Effects of task rotation and how they are mediated in a technology-supported workplace

New digital assistive technologies strive to alleviate the completion of work tasks but thereby often threaten to make jobs increasingly monotonous. To counteract jobs becoming more and more monotonous, task rotation might be an appropriate technology feature. However, it is uncertain whether task rotation has unique positive effects, why it works, and whether there are any boundary conditions. To investigate this, we conducted two experimental vignette studies. In Study 1 (N₁ = 135), we drew on the job characteristics model and self-determination theory to examine perceived task variety, skill variety, and task identity, and expected satisfaction of the need for competence as mediators of the effect of task rotation on anticipated employee attitudes (job satisfaction, intrinsic work motivation), behavior (subjective performance), and well-being (positive and negative affect). The investigated vignette described a job where a digital assistance system either indicated the task rotation or only supported work steps. Regression analyses showed direct effects of task rotation on expected job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and positive affect. There were indirect effects of task rotation on all outcomes except expected negative affect. We used Study 2 (N₂ = 159) as an exact replication of Study 1. Additionally, to investigate the boundary conditions of task rotation effects, we drew on person-job fit theory and investigated openness to experience as a moderator of the effects of task and skill variety on the outcomes. Regression analyses showed direct effects of task rotation on expected job satisfaction, subjective performance, and positive affect. There were indirect effects of task rotation on all outcomes except expected negative affect and intrinsic motivation. Thus, the results of Study 1 could only be partly replicated. Openness to experience did not moderate the effects of task and skill variety on the outcomes. The results support the relevance of task rotation as a technology feature and indicate that rotations should offer especially skill variety and task identity, as these were the strongest mediators in our studies.

Work-family and family-work conflict and stress in times of COVID-19

This study aims to investigate the spillover impact of work-family/family-work conflict and stress on five major industrial sectors (education, textile, hospitals, banks, and retail stores), during the first wave of Covid-19. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is twofold; firstly, to test a hypothesized model where work-family/family-work conflicts are related to stress and where stress could exert a mediating role in such relationships. Secondly, we seek to explore the presence of these conflicts and stress in each of the five major industrial sectors and evaluate if there are significant differences between them, identifying the sociodemographic characteristics associated. Two questionnaires were applied to 748 employees from the selected industries. According to our results, stress predicts both types of conflict and also exerts a mediator role. It was primarily found that the five sectors are significantly different regarding the work-family/family-work conflicts and stress. Findings and implications are discussed.

Development and evaluation of design guidelines for cognitive ergonomics in human-robot collaborative assembly systems

Industry 4.0 is the concept used to summarize the ongoing fourth industrial revolution, which is profoundly changing the manufacturing systems and business models all over the world. Collaborative robotics is one of the most promising technologies of Industry 4.0. Human-robot interaction and human-robot collaboration will be crucial for enhancing the operator's work conditions and production performance. In this regard, this enabling technology opens new possibilities but also new challenges. There is no doubt that safety is of primary importance when humans and robots interact in industrial settings. Nevertheless, human factors and cognitive ergonomics (i.e. cognitive workload, usability, trust, acceptance, stress, frustration, perceived enjoyment) are crucial, even if they are often underestimated or ignored. Therefore, this work refers to cognitive ergonomics in the design of human-robot collaborative assembly systems. A set of design guidelines has been developed according to the analysis of the scientific literature. Their effectiveness has been evaluated through multiple experiments based on a laboratory case study where different participants interacted with a low-payload collaborative robotic system for the joint assembly of a manufacturing product. The main assumption to be tested is that it is possible to improve the operator's experience and efficiency by manipulating the system features and interaction patterns according to the proposed design guidelines. Results confirmed that participants improved their cognitive response to human-robot interaction as well as the assembly performance with the enhancement of workstation features and interaction conditions by implementing an increasing number of guidelines.

Influence of algorithmic management practices on workplace well-being – evidence from European organisations

Purpose

Existing literature on algorithmic management practices – defined as autonomous data-driven decision making in people's management by adoption of self-learning algorithms and artificial intelligence – suggests complex relationships with employees' well-being in the workplace. While the use of algorithms can have positive impacts on people-related decisions, they may also adversely influence job autonomy, perceived justice and – as a result – workplace well-being. Literature review revealed a significant gap in empirical research on the nature and direction of these relationships. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to analyse how algorithmic management practices directly influence workplace well-being, as well as investigating its relationships with job autonomy and total rewards practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Conceptual model of relationships between algorithmic management practices, job autonomy, total rewards and workplace well-being has been formulated on the basis of literature review. Proposed model has been empirically verified through confirmatory analysis by means of structural equation modelling (SEM CFA) on a sample of 21,869 European organisations, using data collected by Eurofound and Cedefop in 2019, with the focus of investigating the direct and indirect influence of algorithmic management practices on workplace well-being.

Findings

This research confirmed a moderate, direct impact of application of algorithmic management practices on workplace well-being. More importantly the authors found out that this approach has an indirect influence, through negative impact on job autonomy and total rewards practices. The authors observed significant variation in the level of influence depending on the size of the organisation, with the decreasing impacts of algorithmic management on well-being and job autonomy for larger entities.

Originality/value

While the influence of algorithmic management on various workplace practices and effects is now widely discussed, the empirical evidence – especially for traditional work contexts, not only gig economy – is highly limited. The study fills this gap and suggests that algorithmic management – understood as an automated decision-making vehicle – might not always lead to better, well-being focused, people management in organisations. Academic studies and practical applications need to account for possible negative consequences of algorithmic management for the workplace well-being, by better reflecting complex nature of relationships between these variables.

Activity-based working: How the use of available workplace options increases perceived autonomy in the workplace

BACKGROUND: If companies are building offices, nowadays, they mostly realize activity-based concepts as a response to growing flexibility requirements of a digitalized society. Activity-based concepts provide multiple workplace options to employees. After moving to new workspaces, employees need to get used to the facilities and learn how to use the available workplace options. OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of activity-based working relies on the workplace options and on employees’ autonomy to use them according to their current work tasks. The present study examined the change in the use of workplace options, task-environment fit, and autonomy in the workplace after the implementation of an activity-based working concept. METHODS: The study was longitudinal with two time points (Time 1 and Time 2) that were one year apart. Data were obtained prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 153 employees working in activity-based office environments in two organizations in Germany. The average age was 45 years (SD = 11); 44% were men, and 23% had leadership responsibilities. RESULTS: The increased use of available workplace options offered in activity-based working concepts was associated with better task-environment fit, which in turn led to an increase in perceived autonomy in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the core idea of activity-based working and revealed how this office concept unfolds its effectiveness: Having different workplace options available and using them led to a higher perceived task-environment fit, which in turn, contributed to a higher perceived autonomy in the workplace.

Towards a process-oriented understanding of HR analytics: implementation and application

Firms have recognized the opportunities presented by HR analytics; however, it is challenging for HR to convert their available data (sources) into meaningful strategical value. Moreover, research on the implementation and application of HR analytics is still in its infancy. Drawing on the socio-technical system perspective, we examine the implementation and application of HR analytics in firms. Based on a qualitative study with 17 HR analytics experts, we find that a shift to a more process-oriented perspective on HR analytics is needed. More precisely, besides the requirements for the analysis of data, the actual roles in the process of implementing and applying HR analytics need to be defined. In particular, this implies the interaction between the specialist department, the HR business partner and the HR analytics function. From a managerial perspective, we propose a process model for the future implementation and application of HR analytics.

Is a Match Better Than No Match? On the Interaction of Demands and Support During Technological Change

Progressing digitalization and technological changes triggered by COVID-19 lockdowns means for organizations that new technologies need to be implemented in shorter time periods. The implementation of new technologies in the workplace poses various change demands on employees. Organizations try to counteract these effects by providing change support in the form of for example training or participation options. However, to date, it is unclear how change demands develop a detrimental effect and whether change support can buffer this relation due to which working mechanisms, and whether the effectiveness of support measures can be increased by matching them to specific change demands. Based on the integrative framework of social support theory, which draws on the job demands-resources model and self-determination theory, we hypothesize that change demands can be most effectively addressed through matching change support. In three consecutive experimental vignette studies (N₁ = 89, N₂ = 134, N₃ = 138) of dependently employed samples, we analyzed the interaction of change demands and change support on attitude to change, satisfaction with the change process, and behavioral intention to use by manipulating the degree of demand (high vs. low) and provided support (high vs. low) and by conducting moderated mediation analyses, and integrated the results meta-analytically. The results show that change demands have a detrimental effect on technology implementation outcomes. In one of the three studies we confirmed a moderating effect of change support. The relation was mediated by perceived frustration, but the mediating effect of psychological need satisfaction was inconclusive. Based on our results, we discuss that the research on matching support requires the evaluation of the personal relevance of the support receiver to increase the chance of achieving a match.

New Technology and Loss of Paid Employment among Older Workers: Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

This study investigates the association between the implementation of new technology in the workplace and the subsequent loss of paid employment among older workers.

METHODS

We estimated the prospective risk of loss of paid employment (register-based) from questions on new technology among 10,320 older workers (≥50 years). To investigate potential differences between work types, analyses were stratified by job function: (1) work with symbols (office, administration, analysis, IT), (2) work with people (people, service, care), (3) work in the field of production (processing, producing or moving things).

RESULTS

The introduction of new technology at the workplace reduced the risk of losing paid employment among older workers working with symbols (risk ratio [RR] 0.74, 95% CI 0.72-0.76) and in the field of production (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.80-0.85), whereas new technology increased this risk among those working with people (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.19-1.26). Being involved in the introduction of new technology and receiving adequate training in its use decreased the risk of loss of paid employment.

CONCLUSIONS

Depending on the context, the introduction of new technology at work associates positively as well as negatively with future labour market participation among older workers. Worker involvement and adequate training in the use of new technology seem to be important for retaining workers in the labour market.

Putting head-worn displays to use for order picking: a most-similar comparative case study

Purpose

This paper aims to identify why warehouses do or do not succeed in putting to use digital technologies for order picking.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on structuration theory, the authors investigate the situated use of one such a digital technology, more particularly the head-worn display (HWD). Based on a most-similar comparative case study of two Belgian warehouses pioneering HWDs, the authors focus on whether and how order pickers and their manager interact to modify the properties, functionalities, and the context in which the HWD is used.

Findings

In one warehouse, using the HWD was discontinued after implementation. In the other, order pickers and the order pickers' manager succeeded in implementing the HWD into their work. The authors find that the prime explanation for these opposite findings lies in the extent to which order pickers were given room to improve the properties and functionalities of the HWD as well as the conditions that unfold in the HWD's use context. In the latter warehouse, pressing issues were overcome and improvement suggestions were implemented, both regarding the HWD itself as well as regarding the job-related and person-related conditions.

Originality/value

Theoretically, the authors contribute to the situated use of technology stating that (1) giving room to alter the use of digital technologies, and (2) fostering continuous employee participation regarding conditions stemming from the use context are necessary to realize the promising and unexploited potential of digital technology in practice. Empirically, this paper exposes distinct types of interactions that explain whether and how digital technologies, in particular HWDs, are put to use for order picking practices.

'Bringing the Covert into the Open': A Case Study on Technology Appropriation and Continuous Improvement

As end-users, employees appropriate technologies. Technology appropriation is generally conceived as a covert phenomenon. In particular, alternative ways and new purposes for which employees deploy technologies tend to remain hidden. Therefore, the potential of technologies as a source of organizational improvements may remain undisclosed. Continuous improvement (CI) programs, in contrast, are explicitly oriented at disclosing organizational improvements. In essence, CI programs encourage employees to openly discuss how to improve their work practices. Such continuous movements towards novel, often better, ways of working may be perfectly suited to bring the covert nature of technology appropriation into the open. Based on a case study on a personal digital assistant (PDA) in a Belgian nursing home with such a CI program in place, we document and analyze to what extent and why functionalities of the PDA were discussed and further developed. We distinguish between the functionalities that, upon implementation, intended to improve particular work practices, and those that surfaced after the technology had been introduced. To conclude, we point at employees’ perceived usefulness of their work practices and their willingness to improve these, rather than only the technology itself, to further the debate on technology appropriation.

Valuing Diversity and Inclusion in Health Care to Equip the Workforce: Survey Study and Pathway Analysis

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic, with all its virus variants, remains a serious situation. Health systems across the United States are trying their best to respond. On average, the health care workforce is relatively homogenous, even though it cares for a highly diverse array of patients. This perennial problem in the US health care workforce has only been accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical workers should reflect on the variety of patients they care for and strive to understand their mindsets within the larger contexts of culture, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic realities. Along with talent and skills, diversity and inclusion (D&I) are essential for maintaining a workforce that can treat the myriad needs and populations that health systems serve. Developing hiring strategies that will help achieve greater workforce diversity remains a challenge for health system leaders.

Objective

The primary aims of this study were to: (1) explore the characteristics of US health systems and their associations with D&I practices and benefits, (2) examine the associations between D&I practices and three pathways to equip workforces, and (3) examine the associations between the three pathways to better equip workforces and business and service benefits. The three pathways are: (1) improving D&I among existing employees (IMPROVE), (2) using multiple channels to find and recruit the workforce (RECRUIT), and (3) collaborating with universities to find new talent and establish plans to train students (COLLABORATE).

Methods

During February to March 2021, 625 health systems in the United States were surveyed with the help of a consultant, 135 (21.6%) of whom responded. We assessed workforce talent- and diversity-relevant factors. We collected secondary data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Compendium of the US Health Systems, leading to a matched data set of 124 health systems for analysis. We first explored differences in diversity practices and benefits across the health systems. We then examined the relationships among diversity practices, pathways, and benefits.

Results

Health system characteristics such as size, location, ownership, teaching, and revenue have varying associations with diversity practices and outcomes. D&I and talent strategies exhibited different associations with the three workforce pathways. Regarding the mediating effects, the IMPROVE pathway seems to be more effective than the RECRUIT and COLLABORATE pathways, enabling the diversity strategy to prompt business or service benefits. Moreover, these pathway effects go hand-in-hand with a talent strategy, indicating that both talent and diversity strategies need to be aligned to achieve the best results for a health system.

Conclusions

Diversity and talent plans can be aligned to realize multiple desired benefits for health systems. However, a one-size-fits-all approach is not a viable strategy for improving D&I. Health systems need to follow a multipronged approach based on their characteristics. To get D&I right, proactive plans and genuine efforts are essential.

Was macht bei der Arbeit glücklich?

Zusammenfassung. Glück bei der Arbeit spielt neben Arbeitszufriedenheit in der Forschung eine immer größere Rolle. Glück wurde sowohl theoretisch als auch metanalytisch mit positiven Folgen in Verbindung gebracht. Allerdings fehlt bislang ein validiertes Instrument in deutscher Sprache, um Bedingungen von Glück bei der Arbeit zu erfassen. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist deshalb, ein Messinstrument zur Erfassung von Bedingungen von Glück bei der Arbeit zu entwickeln und zu validieren. Basierend auf einem Modell von Rehwaldt (2017) entstand in vier aufeinander aufbauenden qualitativen und quantitativen Studien eine vierdimensionale Skala zur Erfassung von Bedingungen von Glück bei der Arbeit (HappinessandWork-Scale). In explorativen und konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalysen konnten vier Faktoren ( Sinnempfinden, Selbstverwirklichung, Gemeinschaft professionell und Gemeinschaft vertraut) aufgedeckt werden, die erwartungsgemäß positiv korreliert waren. Die divergente Validität der vier Faktoren zeigte sich durch unterschiedliche Zusammenhänge mit mehreren relevanten Kriterien (z. B. Commitment, innovatives Verhalten). Implikationen der Ergebnisse für Theorie und Praxis werden abschließend diskutiert.

Mental Illness of Management Educators: Does Holding Multiple Academic Jobs Play a Role? A Qualitative Study

Through addressing management educators in four public business schools in Egypt, the authors of this paper aim to uncover the impact of holding multiple academic jobs on the mental health of management educators. The paper asserts that management educators do not perceive the holding of multiple academic roles as a stimulant of any form of mental illness (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress) if it is accompanied by a sense of autonomy (proper teaching loads, rational time for supervising theses, reasonable requests for research production) a feeling of competence (relevant monthly salary, available training and learning opportunities) and a sense of relatedness (feeling of involvement, flexible work hours, option to work from home).

Performance of Academic Staff during COVID-19 Pandemic-Induced Work Transformations: An IPO Model for Stress Management

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected all spheres of services-related business, including the higher education sector. As a pre-emptive measure, almost all traditional educational institutions have been transformed into virtual organizations. This pandemic-induced work transition has created stress among academic staff and has hampered their performance. The present study aims to examine the impact of leadership behaviors, e-training, and employment security on the stress management process, consequently improving employee performance during and after the pandemic. Based on the IPO (input–process–output) model, this study examines the effect of leadership behavior, e-training, and employment security on teaching staff’s tasks and adaptive and contextual performance, mediated by stress management. To test the conceptual model, data were collected from the teaching staff of Malaysian universities. The structural equation modeling technique was used for data analysis, while bootstrapping with the maximum likelihood estimator was used to confirm the mediational role of stress management. The study revealed that task- and relation-oriented leadership behavior, e-training, and employment security positively influence stress management and employee performance in virtual organizations. Moreover, stress management acts as a full mediator in the relationship between leadership behavior and employee performance, while partial mediation occurs between e-training, employment security, and employee performance. This study offers valuable insights into the literature by proposing leadership behavior, e-training, and employment security as input in the stress management process to attain the performance output of teaching staff. Higher education institutions should come forward to assist their teaching employees in managing their stress levels for better outcomes.

The impact of general data protection regulation on software engineering practices

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the changes imposed by the general data protection regulation (GDPR) on software engineering practices. The fundamental objective is to have a perception of the practices and phases that have experienced the greatest changes. Additionally, it aims to identify a set of good practices that can be adopted by software engineering companies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative methodology through four case studies involving Portuguese software engineering companies. Two of these companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) while the other remaining two are micro-companies. The thematic analysis is adopted to identify patterns in the performed interviews.

Findings

The findings indicate that significant changes have occurred at all stages of software development. In particular, the initial stages of identifying requirements and modeling processes were the stages that experienced the greatest changes. On the opposite, the technical development phase has not noticeably changed but, nevertheless, it is necessary to look at the importance of training software developers for GDPR rules and practices.

Research limitations/implications

Two relevant limitations were identified as follows: only four case studies involving micro-companies and SMEs were considered, and only the traditional software development methodology was considered. The use of agile methodologies was not explored in this study and the findings can only be mainly applied to the waterfall model.

Originality/value

This study offers mainly practical contributions by identifying a set of challenges that are posed to software engineering companies by the implementation of GDPR. Through their knowledge, it is expected to help these companies to better prepare themselves and anticipate the challenges they will necessarily face.

Telemedicine as a Means to an End, Not an End in Itself

Telemedicine (TM)—the management of disease at a distance—has potential usefulness for patients with advanced respiratory disease. Underscoring this potential is the dramatic expansion of its applications in clinical medicine. However, since clinical studies testing this intervention often provide heterogeneous results, its role in the medical management of respiratory disorders remains inconclusive. A major problem in establishing TM’s effectiveness is that it is not a single intervention; rather, it includes a number of divergent diagnostic and therapeutic modalities—and each must be tested separately. Reflecting the discord between the need for further documentation of its approaches and effectiveness and its rapid utilization without this needed information, a major challenge is the lack of international guidelines for its integration, regulation, operational plans, and guidance for professionals. Tailored TM, with increased flexibility to address differing healthcare contexts, has the potential to improve access to and quality of services while reducing costs and direct input by health professionals. We should view TM as a tool to aid healthcare professionals in managing their patients with respiratory diseases rather than as a stand-alone substitute to traditional medical care. As such, TM is a means rather than an end.

Who Likes Artificial Intelligence? Personality Predictors of Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence

We examined how individuals' personality relates to various attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI). Attitudes were organized into two dimensions of affective components (positive and negative emotions) and two dimensions of cognitive components (sociality and functionality). For personality, we focused on the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness) and personal innovativeness in information technology. Based on a survey of 1,530 South Korean adults, we found that extraversion was related to negative emotions and low functionality. Agreeableness was associated with both positive and negative emotions, and it was positively associated with sociality and functionality. Conscientiousness was negatively related to negative emotions, and it was associated with high functionality, but also with low sociality. Neuroticism was related to negative emotions, but also to high sociality. Openness was positively linked to functionality, but did not predict other attitudes when other proximal predictors were included (e.g. prior use, personal innovativeness). Personal innovativeness in information technology consistently showed positive attitudes toward AI across all four dimensions. These findings provide mixed support for our hypotheses, and we discuss specific implications for future research and practice.