Showing papers on "Job security published in 2015"

Perceived Organizational Support

Abstract: Perceived organizational support (POS) represents the degree to which employees believe that their organization values their contributions and cares for their wellbeing (Eisenberger et al., 1986). It stems from organizational support theory (Blau, 1964), which posits that both parties in the employment relationship engage in various mutual exchanges that give rise to felt obligations. Such exchanges may take the form of rewards or other forms of recognition offered by the organization in return for high levels of employee commitment or performance. These exchanges give rise to performance-reward expectations, which when fulfilled in future exchanges improve the quality of the employment relationship. Various forms of support have been identified including participation in decision making, training and promotion opportunities, and job security. Supervisors are regarded as key agents in delivering the organization's side of the exchange, and offer various forms of discretionary support including mentoring and growth opportunities. POS has been positively associated with outcomes including organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and performance, and negatively associated with outcomes such as absenteeism and turnover intentions. Future research directions include longitudinal assessments of POS, broader exchange relationships (e.g., between coworkers and teams), and potentially negative influences on POS (e.g. work intensification). Keywords: perceived organizational support; perceived supervisor support; organizational support theory

The global opportunity in online outsourcing

Abstract: Online outsourcing (OO) has become a promising alternative to traditional employment in today’s digital era. It has transformed where, when, and how work is performed. For workers, this form of outsourcing has created new opportunities to access and compete in global job markets, from anywhere at any time, as long as they have computer and Internet access. This study focuses on OO’s potential as a new and innovative channel for socioeconomic development for developing country governments and development practitioners, particularly in terms of youth employment, services exports, and participation in the digital economy. OO firms report that the private sector is currently driving most of the demand, but public sector demand for OO is a potential source of future growth. In order to understand the opportunity for developing countries, this study estimated the current size of the market and projected its growth, and profiled OO work through a combination of desk research and structured interviews with academics, online workers, firms, and industry analysts to better understand OO’s potential impact on human capital and employment. The study also conducted focus group interviews with online workers in Kenya to gather additional insight into the socioeconomic impacts of OO, and carried out case studies in Kenya and Nigeria.

Job insecurity and organizational citizenship behavior: Exploring curvilinear and moderated relationships

Abstract: This article examined a curvilinear relationship between job insecurity and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Drawing from social exchange theory and research on personal control, we developed and tested an explanation for employees' reactions to job insecurity based on their conceptualization of their social exchange relationship with the organization at different levels of job insecurity. Using data from 244 Chinese employees and 102 supervisory ratings of OCB, we found support for a U-shaped relationship between job insecurity and OCB. Moreover, 2 factors--psychological capital and subordinate-supervisor guanxi--moderated the curvilinear relationship, such that the curvilinear relationship is more pronounced among those with lower psychological capital or less positive subordinate-supervisor guanxi.

Why not nursing? A systematic review of factors influencing career choice among healthcare students.

Abstract: Background A global shortage of healthcare professionals calls for effective recruitment and retention strategies. The nursing profession faces greater staffing shortages compared with other healthcare professions. Identifying these factors for choosing a career in health care is an important step in structuring future nursing recruitment strategies. Aim This systematic review examined the motivations for choosing a career in health care, then compared them to factors that influence the choice to pursue a career in nursing. Methods A literature search of the CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases for articles published between 2002 and 2013 was conducted. The search included studies that focused on factors influencing career choice among undergraduate medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing students. Results A total of 29 papers were included in the review. The themes and subthemes that emerged from this review included: (1) intrinsic factors, including a desire to help others and a personal interest in health care, (2) extrinsic factors, such as financial remuneration, job security, professional prestige and job autonomy, (3) socio-demographic factors such as gender and socio-economic status, and (4) interpersonal factors, encompassing the influence of family and other professional individuals. Discussion Healthcare professionals were generally motivated by intrinsic factors. However, public perceptions of nursing as a low-paying and low-status job have significantly hindered the participants' choice to pursue it as a career. Conclusion and implications for nursing and/or health policy Nursing institutions could provide more platforms to help school leavers better understand the nursing career. In turn, hospital administrators could invite parents to nursing career fairs, increase financial remuneration for nurses, and provide decision-making avenues aimed at recruiting and retaining more nurses.

What makes a good job? Job quality and job satisfaction

Abstract: Many measures of job satisfaction have been trending downward. Because jobs are a key part of most people’s lives, knowing what makes a good job (job quality) is vital to knowing how well society is doing. Integral to worker well-being, job quality also affects the labor market through related decisions on whether to work, whether to quit, and how much effort to put into a job. Empirical work on what constitutes a good job finds that workers value more than wages; they also value job security and interest in their work. Policy to affect job quality requires information on the cost of the different aspects of job quality and how much workers value them.

Determinants of Academics' Job Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from Private Universities in Bangladesh

Abstract: The job satisfaction of academics is related to a number of variables of complex function such as demographic characters, the work itself, pay, work responsibilities, variety of tasks, promotional opportunities, relationship with co-workers and others. Academics may be simultaneously satisfied with some facets of the job and dissatisfied with others. This paper aims at determining the influential factors that contribute to the enhancement or reduction of academics’ job satisfaction among private universities in Bangladesh with special reference to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. A total of 346 respondents are considered from ten private universities using non-probability sampling. A pre-tested and closed-ended questionnaire using a seven-point Likert scale is used for data collection. In this study, descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation, multiple regression, and factor analysis are exercised as statistical tools. A conceptual model of job satisfaction is developed and applied for academics’ job satisfaction. The results reveal that compensation package, supervisory support, job security, training and development opportunities, team cohesion, career growth, working conditions, and organizational culture and policies are positively associated with the academics’ job satisfaction. Amongst them, three factors stood out as significant contributors for job satisfaction of academics i.e. compensation package, job security, and working conditions. Therefore, the management of private universities should focus their effort on these areas of human resource management for maintaining academics’ job satisfaction and employee retention. The study will be useful for university management in improving overall job satisfaction as it suggests some strategies for employee satisfaction practices.

Newswork Within a Culture of Job Insecurity: Producing news amidst organizational and industry uncertainty

Abstract: Rapid change in the news industry and the prevalence of layoffs, buyouts, and closings have led many newsworkers to experience job insecurity and worry about their long-term futures in journalism. Our research uses a case study of employees at an independently owned media company in the United States to explore the various ways newsworkers respond to this culture of job insecurity and how their responses affect efforts to change news practices. Findings demonstrate that those who believe their jobs are at risk are unlikely to change their practices and even some who perceive job security are reticent to initiate change. As a result, the culture of job insecurity in the news industry has a limiting effect on changes to journalism practice.

The association between type and number of adverse working conditions and mental health during a time of economic crisis (2010–2012)

Abstract: Many studies have been published on the association between adverse psychosocial working conditions and mental health, but only a few related types of adverse job conditions and a count of these adversities to workers’ mental health, using standardized diagnostic interviews. This study addresses this issue. Data were used from the second wave of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2, a nationally representative face-to-face survey of the general population, including 3,672 workers, 166 unemployed and 239 disabled persons. Among workers, psychosocial working conditions (decision latitude, psychological job demands, job security and co-worker support) were assessed with the Job Content Questionnaire. Mental health symptoms were assessed with the Mental Health Inventory (MHI)-5 and DSM-IV diagnoses/syndromes with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. Adverse psychosocial job conditions were related to workers’ mental health. The strongest association was found for low job security which increased the chance of mental health symptoms and mental disorders by twofold. Workers in the poorest quality jobs, i.e. experiencing at least three adverse working conditions, had a 3 to almost 5 times higher chance of mental disorders than those in the most optimal jobs. Having a poor quality job was not associated with better mental health compared to being unemployed or disabled. In general, similar relations were found for mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. In planning future strategies to prevent mental disorders at the workplace, the focus should be on workers who experience job insecurity and on those who report several adversities.

Impact of Organizational Justice, Job Security and Job satisfaction on Organizational Productivity

Abstract:  Abstract—The current study is done to explore the relationship between job security, organizational justice and organizational productivity with the mediating role of job satisfaction. The organizational productivity of Pakistani organization is decreasing despite adopting various strategies. There was a need to pinpoint the cause of this problem. This study revealed the fact that lack of job security and organizational justice as well as job satisfaction can be a cause of decrease in organization productivity. The result of this research suggests offering job security to the employees. In addition, measures should be taken to increase employees' job satisfaction as these factors will directly lead to an increase in organizational productivity.

Job satisfaction in aging workforces: : an analysis of the USA, Japan and Germany

Abstract: In light of the dramatically aging workforces in many industrialized countries, age diversity management will become a major challenge in human resource management. To successfully handle an age-diverse workforce, it is crucial to understand how employees of different ages can be motivated. This paper analyzes age's moderating role in the relationship between situational job characteristics and job satisfaction. To control for the potential influence of the cultural and institutional context, we use data from the USA, Japan and Germany. Findings show that older employees' job satisfaction is driven by different factors than younger employees: older employees put more emphasis on good relationships with colleagues, while income, advancement opportunities, job security and having an interesting job are less important. However, these effects are mostly nation-dependent, which underlines the importance of conducting cross-cultural or cross-national aging research.

Training older employees: what is effective?

Abstract: Purpose – Employees older than 55 years of age have a much lower share in training than other employees. The purpose of this paper is to propose that one of the reasons for this phenomenon that has not been taken into account so far is that their training is less effective. Design/methodology/approach – This paper shows that training of older employees indeed is less effective in the self-assessment of training participants. Training effectiveness is measured with respect to key dimensions such as career development, earnings, adoption of new skills, flexibility or job security. Besides age a broad range of explanatory variables is included as covariates in a large linked employer-employee data set. Findings – The paper finds that main reason for the differences in training effectiveness during the life cycle is that firms do not take into account differences in training motivation. Older employees get higher returns from informal and directly relevant training and from training contents that can be mainl...

Does Pursuing External Incentives Compromise Public Service Motivation? Comparing the effects of job security and high pay

Abstract: The pursuit of both job security and high pay as main reasons for job selection, according to self-determination theory (SDT), implies that people are controlled by external conditions (i.e. external regulation) and thus unlikely to be driven by altruistic values. Conceptually, however, pursuing high pay and pursuing job security seemingly carry disparate connotations. While the former signifies the love of money, which is thought to be incompatible with public service motivation (PSM), the latter accompanies motivation crowding-in, which may correlate positively with PSM. We tested this proposition by using the data collected from 514 municipal middle managers in Taiwan, and it received strong support. Results further show that pay satisfaction moderates the negative relationship between pursuing high pay and PSM. In the conclusion, we discuss how these findings shed light on contemporary administrative reform.

A Comparative Analysis of Job Motivation and Career Preference of Asian Undergraduate Students

Abstract: This article examines how various job motivators and perception toward public service affect university students’ tendencies to choose public sector jobs in a comparative context. We address this question using survey data collected from undergraduate students in China, Singapore, and Korea. The findings indicate that a positive association exists between motivation to benefit society and public sector job preference among Singaporean and Korean students, although such a relationship does not exist among Chinese students. Job security and salary are commonly important motivators for students who prefer either public or private sector jobs. Finally, the divergent characteristics of students’ career goals serve to emphasize the importance of comparative studies in identifying context-specific and context-general factors that motivate students toward public service careers.

Economic austerity and healthcare restructuring: correlates and consequences of nursing job insecurity

Abstract: The healthcare system underwent considerable restructuring and downsizing in the early to mid-1990s in several countries as governments cut costs to reduce their budget deficits. Studies of the effects of these efforts on nursing staff and hospital functioning in various countries generally reported negative impacts. Healthcare restructuring and hospital downsizing is again being implemented in North America in 2009/2010 as governments struggle to reduce their deficits at a time of worldwide economic recession. The present study examines the relationship of hospital restructuring initiatives in and their link with increased threats to job security with a variety of individual and hospital outcomes in a sample of nursing staff working in hospitals undergoing significant restructuring and downsizing. Data were collected from 289 nursing staff working in California hospitals. Nurses reported a relatively large number of restructuring and downsizing initiatives. Restructuring initiatives and threats to job security accounted for a greater increment in explained variance on every outcome measure than did personal demographic factors and work situation characteristics. Threats to job security were generally associated with negative work attitudes and satisfactions, levels of psychological well-being and perceptions of hospital functioning. Some suggestions for more successful approaches to cost reductions are offered.

The new public service? Empirical research on job choice motivation in the nonprofit sector

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors influencing the decision of managers to work in the nonprofit sector and how these choices are shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Additionally, this research examines the impact of job choice motivation on social, community and professional outcomes and the unique characteristics of managers in the nonprofit sector. , – This research employed data from the National Administrative Studies Project (NASP-III) survey, which measured the mid- and upper-level managers working in nonprofit organizations in Illinois and Georgia. The survey measured the manager’s perceptions of various organizational issues, including work motivation, mentoring and communication, career histories, hiring practices, and organizational cultures and structures. The data were then analyzed using a hierarchical regression model. , – The findings of this research support the idea that intrinsic motivation is an important aspect of job choice motivation for individuals in the nonprofit workforce. In addition, the findings suggest other characteristics, including policies that enhance work life balance (WLB), advancement, and job security, are important to understand the job choice motivations of nonprofit managers. This research also found not all types of nonprofit agencies attract similarly motivated individuals, or lead to equivalent community outcomes. , – The organizations represented in the NASP III sample included more membership and professional associations than the overall nonprofit sector. This over representation partially limits the generalizability of these findings but it also allows the research to more thoroughly understand this unique subset of organizations that serve predominantly the narrow interests of their members. , – This research highlights the advantage nonprofit employers have over other organizations in terms of using intrinsic motivations to attract employees. However, the findings also suggest nonprofit organizations need to focus on human resource (HR) strategies including policies that enhance WLB, advancement, and job security to compete with other employers for talent. Finally, the research also suggests the need to tailor HR strategies to groups of nonprofit employees based upon important employee characteristics such as gender, job type, and prior career experience. , – This study extends a well-developed body of knowledge on motivations and selection of career paths to individuals working in the nonprofit sector. It also suggests variations among employees and organizations matter in terms of the type of individuals attracted to particular career path in nonprofits. Additionally, this research suggests future research needs to include more nuanced examinations of the differences which exist among organizations in the nonprofit sector rather than simply focussing upon similarities across the most prevalent types of nonprofit organizations.

Employee Turnover Intention in Travel Agencies: Analysis of Controllable and Uncontrollable Factors

Abstract: High turnover rates have long been a problem and costly in many industries. Numerous studies have focused on the reasons for employee turnover; however, most have focused on the hospitality industry but scarce in travel agencies. Thus, this research aimed to examine the situation in travel agencies in Hong Kong. A sample of 200 frontline staff was selected by convenience sampling. The results indicated that five independent variables, namely, general job satisfaction, job hopping, job security, training opportunity and promotion opportunity are significantly related to turnover intention. The managerial implications of these findings and future research directions are also discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Social Network Effects on Productivity and Job Security

Abstract: By studying the change in employees' network positions before and after the introduction of a social networking tool, I find that information-rich networks (low in cohesion and rich in structural holes), enabled by social media, have a positive effect on various work outcomes. Contrary to the notion that network positions are difficult to alter, I show that social media can induce a change in network structure, one from which individuals can derive economic benefits. In addition, I consider two intermediate mechanisms by which an information-rich network is theorized to improve work performance---information diversity and social communication---and quantify their effects on productivity and job security. Analysis shows that productivity, as measured by billable revenue, is more associated with information diversity than with social communication. However, the opposite is true for job security. Social communication is more correlated with reduced layoff risks than with information diversity. This, in turn, suggests that information-rich networks enabled through the use of social media can drive both work performance and job security, but that there is a trade-off between engaging in social communication and gathering diverse information.

Predictors of workforce retention among Malawian nurse graduates of a scholarship program: a mixed-methods study.

Abstract: Background: Malawi faces critical health care worker shortages of both physicians and nurses. The Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) began a nursing scholarship program in Malawi that requires graduates to work in the public sector for 4–5 years following graduation. The main objective of this study was to identify job satisfaction and retention factors of scholarship recipients after graduation. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study consisting of 30 individual qualitative interviews and 56 quantitative surveys that evaluated job satisfaction, factors associated with retention, and impact of the GAIA Nursing Scholarship Program. Participants included GAIA scholarship recipients who had graduated. We used thematic analysis to analyze qualitative interviews. Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation, and chi-squared tests were used to analyze survey data. Results: The majority of survey and interview participants indicated it was unlikely that they would leave the public sector (70% and 90%, respectively). Most interview and survey participants cited a lack of supplies, inadequate human resources, and high workload as major challenges to their work. Poor working relationships with management or coworkers was significantly correlated with consideration of changing jobs in the next 6 months (correlation coefficient 20.28, P , .05 and 20.36, P , .01, respectively). Low salaries, high workload, poor accommodations, and a lack of appreciation were the most common reasons given for considering leaving the public sector while job security, desire to pursue further education, and public service agreement were primary motivations for continuing to work in the public system. Participants felt supported by GAIA staff and expressed a desire to serve their communities in return by working in government-supported health facilities. Conclusions: Despite the many challenges faced by public-sector nurses, low-income countries such as Malawi can employ non-remuneration strategies to retain nurses in the public sector, including adequate housing, availability of supplies, advancement opportunities, and positive work environments. Scholarship programs with close follow-up of graduates may also help increase retention.

Workplace Flexibility Practices in SMEs: Relationship with Performance via Redundancies, Absenteeism, and Financial Turnover

Abstract: This workplace flexibility study uses primary data on private sector small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lancashire, United Kingdom, collected in 2009 during the recent “credit crunch” recession. Key features include: (1) objective measures of SME performance; (2) a focus on the previously relatively neglected relationship between workplace flexibility practices (WFPs) and three SME performance indicators, namely, redundancies, absenteeism, and financial turnover; and (3) a timely contribution to research on SMEs. Numerical, functional, and cost WFPs analyses, via zero-inflated Poisson and linear regressions, control for SME and market characteristics. Despite SMEs having limited resources, the results show a significant section of SMEs to be innovative and entrepreneurial organizations, embracing advancements in employment relations regarding employee discretion, training, participative working arrangements, and/or job security. Moreover, results indicate that WFPs have the potential to assist SMEs in responding to periods of constrained demand. Flexitime and job sharing are associated with low permanent-employee redundancies. Training, job security, and family-friendly practices relate to low absenteeism with reductions of up to six annual days per worker. Job security and profit-related pay are associated with high financial turnover. Staff pay-freeze links with high financial turnover, but to the detriment of redundancies and absenteeism, whereas management pay-cuts or management pay-freeze relate to low financial turnover. On a cautionary note, spending cuts, often enforced by policymakers, may be of limited benefit to SMEs, and thus other approaches would appear more fruitful.

Strategies for talent management: a study of select organizations in the UAE

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims at finding out strategies adopted by the organizations to reduce the employee turnover as well as to how to effectively manage human capital for competitive edge over the rivals in the UAE business environment. Design/methodology/approach – It was a quantitative research enquiry wherein the 255 respondents employed with over a dozen private sector organizations in the UAE were administered a questionnaire to register their responses. Findings – The findings of the study say that the strategies adopted by organizations in the UAE are two-pronged: short-term and long-term strategies. In the short term, the organization provides monetary benefits to their employees for their performance. In the long term, employees are more interested in the growth of their organization, because it gives them a sense of job security, as when an organization is growing, there are less chances of it cutting down on the workforce. Practical implications – The findings of the study are valuable to the o...

Employee motivation and job performance

Abstract: .The mainstay of the paper is formed by an analysis of motivational determinants m the workplace, job performance of employees, and the motivational factors of conduct in work organizations. My paper contributes to the literature by providing evidence on the causal link between different need satisfactions and employee job performance, the impact of need contentment on work behavior, and the components of employee job performance conducts.Keywords: work behavior; employee motivation; job performance1. IntroductionManagers must carry out their objectives and operate via the activity of others, cultivating the required capacities and dedication in their workers. The former tackles challenges that demand a lot more endeavor, ingenious problemsolving, and disposition to change. Level-one management employs conventional top-down, command-and-control approaches to organize, routinize, and regulate the work. Level-two planned environment involves an inventive, managerial method on the part of the entity. To be a successful manager signifies leading the way by advancing and embracing new management procedures (Drumea, 2011) that bring about the types of operations required for tactical success. Established command-and-control administration does not bring about the kinds of performances (Ionescu, 2014a) we require to the highest extent from our workers. The current business setting necessitates a swift pace of transformation and constant innovations on the part of workers and their entities. The latter must act in ground-breaking manners, pursuing chances, solving problems, and adopting new trends. Managers should bring about a sound impetus by impelling workers to innovate and change. The latter must adapt to changes at work, encompassing periodic retrenchment and shake-up, new technologies and systems, and new goods and consumers. (Hiam, 2003)2. Maslow's Hierarchy of NeedsAccording to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, workers are interested in fulfilling external necessities such as physiological ones (i.e., the demand for air, water, and food) and safety and security ones (a house in a safe neighborhood, job security, a retirement scheme, and health/medical insurance): these incentives should be undertaken by employers (e.g. by supplying employees with a satisfactory benefits package). Within the workplace, workers look for a sense of community and acceptance (Drumea, 2012a), pursuing the consent and recognition of their fellows and overseers, whereas managers, by assisting staff in feeling associated with the organization and its assignment (Nica and Potcovaru, 2014), can supply it. External esteem is fulfilled by attaining the recognition of others (Popescu, 2015), social and professional standing, gratitude, and appreciation. Internal esteem entails the demand for self-respect, a sentiment of trust, accomplishment, and self-determination. Cautious employment of approval and of positive response to staff is a significant way of impelling employees. Managers should supply workers with chances to prove their competence: staff involvement in advancing education and providing opportunities for thought-provoking and relevant work are strong incentives. Managers should identify the demands of each worker, separately. (Borkowski, 2011)Maslow employs the notions of deprivation and satisfaction to furnish the active forces that connect demands to behavior. The physiological requirements, when umnet, dominate the body, advancing all strengths into their service and arranging them so that they may be successful to the highest degree. Deprivation or frustration of a need of high prepotency causes its control over the body's character. Comparative satisfaction of a particular need overwhelms it and initiates the subsequent higher need in the hierarchy. In a growth-motivated, self-actualizing person, satisfaction of the self-actualization demands generates a growth in its relevance. The most unsatisfactory need should be the most prevailing or significant need. …

Job insecurity and work–family conflict in teachers in Sweden: Examining their relations with longitudinal cross‐lagged modeling

Abstract: Job insecurity and work-family conflict are increasingly prevalent in contemporary working life and numerous studies have documented their antecedents and negative consequences The present study used longitudinal questionnaire data collected among teachers in Sweden to test the direction of the relation between job insecurity and work-family conflict using cross-lagged modeling Multiple-group comparisons were conducted to account for the skewed gender composition in the teachers' group After controlling for baseline levels of job insecurity, work-family conflict, and four potential confounders (age, children under 12 living at home, university education, and relationship status), we found that the reciprocal relationship between job insecurity and work-family conflict over a 1-year time period fitted the data best for the men For women, however, only the auto regression coefficients were significant The results provide some empirical support for gender differences in the relation between job insecurity and work-family conflict Moreover, this study partially supports theoretical assumptions suggesting that job insecurity and work-family conflict influence each other

Measuring the Job Satisfaction Level of the Academic Staff

Abstract: This study was conducted for the aim to find the job satisfaction of academic staff in Abbottabad. Important factors that have an impact on job satisfaction level are pay, job security, relationship with coworkers and relationship with supervisor. A sample of 84 teachers is selected by simple random sampling technique. Data is collected from four colleges both public and private in Abbottabad region. Simple percentages indicated that academic staff of these four colleges is more satisfied with relationship with coworkers and supervisor than pay and job security.