Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Workplace Change'
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Li, Yan 1975. "Mapping workplace and organizational change." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68383.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2002.Pages 99-100 blank.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-97).
The current condition of global economy is evolving out of the ascendance of information technologies and the associated increase in the mobility and liquidity of capital. These phenomena have further propelled a corresponding change of previously national economic actors participating more actively in a complex global market. The complexities involved at different scales entail a new type of organizational structure and conceptual model which are based on dynamic perspectives to re-scale the existing strategic territories and spatial units. The intention of this thesis is to explore metaphor as a mapping mechanism in conceptualizing these unfamiliar realities. Particularly, the metaphors from nature, from living creatures and from existing physical forms and patterns are applied to find associated correspondences with these global phenomena. By mapping workplace and organizational change, the thesis attempts to construct a framework to visualize the new physical pattern and geographic distributions of global organizations to form a conceptual understanding of the complexities in the global economic activities.
Yan Li.
S.M.
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Giles, Glenn. "Workplace change and award restructuring /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1998. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ARM/09armg472.pdf.
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Venkatesh, Rashmi 1973. "Developing spatial strategies for workplace change." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9501.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-135).
This thesis lays out a framework to address issues of uncertainty and constant change facing organizations in today's unstable and turbulent business world. The framework structures the complex process of workplace change and sets up a mechanism by which an inquiry into the existing nature of work practice drives the process of change. Framing the process of inquiry in the context of workplace change, the thesis develops methods and techniques of evaluation that engage people in the organization in a collaborative process of investigation and inquiry into the nature of their work practice. These techniques analyze people's perceptions of their spatial environment to understand the nature of work practice. The techniques are applied at Swanson Roberts, an executive search firm, and the results are analyzed to explore the relationship between spatial inquiry and the nature of work practice. The thesis demonstrates that an inquiry into the spatial environment can lead to an understanding of existing work practices which in turn drives the process of change, thus establishing a dynamic coherence between the workplace, work practices and organizational change. The thesis finally explores methods to integrate perceptions of the spatial environment with patterns of work practice in order to sustain change in organizations, and develops simple strategies that take the first step in helping organizations "learn" to continuously respond and adapt to the changing business environment.
by Rashmi Venkatesh.
S.M.
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Jones, Sandra, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "The relationship between workplace reform and workplace participation." Deakin University. Bowater school of management and marketing, 2000. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050825.091140.
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This thesis sought to advance understanding of the politics of workplace reform, explaining the respective roles of management and employees and how they relate.
The literature on workplace reform usually argues that reform is predicated on greater workforce participation in managerial decisions. More specifically, different approaches to workplace reform can be aligned to different forms of participation. Thus quality management can be associated with direct forms of participation, institutional workplace reform may depend on representative forms, and best practice may require a combination of both.
This thesis uses empirical evidence to explore this alignment between the different approaches to workplace reform and forms of participation.
The period chosen for empirical study is approximately 1985-1992 - an era of rapid innovation in workplace reform for Australian manufacturing. Three workplaces were chosen for intensive study from automotive component manufacturers because that industry was itself a laboratory for workplace reform and also because these firms exemplified different approaches to competitiveness and reform.
Three approaches to workplace reform - quality management, institutional workplace reform, and best practice - were distinguished to capture the range of Australian practice at that time. Similarly two approaches to workplace participation were distinguished - direct and representative - to reflect the range of observable practices at that time and to represent competing philosophies. Direct participation illustrated an approach founded in managerial context of the political status quo, whilst representative forms were considered to permit a pluralist shift of power to enable employees to manage in place of management.
The three case studies depict companies sharing the competitive crisis of their industry. From this stems the impetus for workplace reform. At this point the firms diverged in their choice of competitive strategies for workplace reform.
The case studies reveal, at the superficial level, a match between the chosen approaches to workplace reform and forms of participation. Basically, quality management is associated with direct employee participation, institutional workplace reform with collective bargaining and representative consultative committees, and best practice with both. However when the implementation of reform and participation are examined this match becomes less significant. One firm, Auto Air, achieved highly effective outcomes in both reform and participation. Another firm, Auto Electrical, failed in both.
The thesis concluded that the relationship between forms of participation and reform is less significant than the effective implementation of policy. Unitarist or pluralist approaches to power distribution count less than managerial capacity to integrate successive reform initiatives and their commitment to workforce participation hi change.
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Belland, John. "Workplace flexibility at Skeena Cellulose, managing the change." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/MQ59422.pdf.
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Miller, Marisa Jean. "Inclusion and Assimilation: Including Change in the Workplace." PDXScholar, 2018. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4539.
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Organizational assimilation is an ongoing and dynamic relationship between organization and individual member, where employees learn the expected norms of the organization and feel that they are able to attempt to make a change to the organization. Organizational members rely on social interactions within the organization to acquire the necessary knowledge they need to perform their roles, as well as support to attempt changes within the organization. This study proposes that feelings of inclusion, or the perception that an employee both belongs to and is unique within an organization, may be an influential construct associated with organizational assimilation and beneficial assimilation outcomes. This study conducts quantitative analysis of survey data collected from employees at a university in the Pacific Northwest, and considers the following components of organizational assimilation, organizational knowledge and individualization, and their potential connection to inclusion in the workplace. Inclusion in the workplace is conceptualized as social inclusion and task inclusion. This study finds that organizational knowledge and individualization are positively associated with social and task inclusion. This is useful to assimilation literature, because inclusion is not often considered when studying organizational assimilation. In addition, these results indicate that inclusion in the workplace is valuable to creating a workplace where employees feel that they can invest themselves in an organization, and are free to individualize their role or attempt to make some sort of change to the organization.
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Agostino, Joseph, and jag@fmrecycling com au. "Workplace identity." Swinburne University of Technology. Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, 2004. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20050805.134042.
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There have been a limited number of studies carried out on employee workplace identity. There have been many studies carried out on organizational change; however, they have been carried out mostly from an instrumentalist perspective where the topic of organizational change has been treated in isolation from other aspects of organization. The question of how a relationship exists between employee workplace identity and organizational change has been left unanswered. This thesis applies narrative theory as a conceptual bridge across identity and change. By considering how employees derive a sense of workplace identity from the workplace narratives, and organizational change as the destruction of existing workplace narratives and adoption of new workplace narratives, it is possible to gain new understandings of these concepts. A theory is developed which explains how narrative theory creates a relationship between identity and change. This new theory is further developed to explain how narrative theory creates a relationship between organizational identity, culture, leadership, conflict, and change. The new extended theory is applied to a narrative presentation of empirical data, which offers a powerful explanatory lens for understanding the relationship between these chosen aspects of organization.
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Nober, Michelle. "The effects of workplace restructuring on job satisfaction." University of the Western Cape, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4727.
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Masters in Public Administration - MPAThis study has been conducted before when the company in question underwent a restructuring (name change) but did not threaten the loss of jobs. This study is being conducted again because another restructuring has taken place over the period of 2011/2012 and involved the retrenchment of employees nationally. The company represented in the study is one of the largest cleaning companies in South Africa and has a very broad and influential client base. They are in high demand in the cleaning industry and have positively impacted many companies and organisations over their many years of existence. Because of the magnitude of the workplace restructuring this time around, more people have been affected (both those who were retrenched as well as those who were left behind). According to Vermeulen, 2002, “Downsizing” is a term that emerged in managerial circles and was used in the business press, but no precise theoretical formulation underpins any clear definition of the term. When hearing the term downsizing, one often will use this together with the term “laying-off” interchangeably. However, some authors will focus on different elements of downsizing for example in reporting on a comprehensive study of downsizing in American industry, Cameron, Freeman and Mishra (1993) limited the term's use to a programme which is an intentional process. This process involves an overall reduction in personnel with a view to improving the efficiency of the organisation. The process wittingly or unwittingly affects work processes at the organisation concerned. According to Hellgren, et al (2005), the attitudinal constructs investigated in this study were job satisfaction, job involvement, organisational commitment, and turnover intention. Job satisfaction represents a general affective response to the overall job situation. Following Locke (1976, p. 1300), we define job satisfaction as “a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience”. ...employees who survived downsizing were likely to experience high levels of stress and decreased levels of organizational commitment and motivation. These individuals are often known as the "victims" of downsizing due to research that documents the devastation of job loss, focusing on negative consequences in terms of psychological and physical well-being (Bennett, Martin, Bies, & Brockner, 1995; Cappeili, 1992; Fallick, 1996; Leana & Feldman, 1992). This study inevitably aimed to prove that workplace restructuring very well has an effect or impact on an employee’s job satisfaction, whether these effects were positive or negative. The findings of the study highlighted significant positive correlations between the two variables and highlights strong relationships between employees’ career advancement opportunities and job satisfaction; trust and job satisfaction, communication and job satisfaction, as well as employee commitment and loyalty and job satisfaction whereas trust (2) or employee morale seem to have no significant relationship with job satisfaction.
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Poynter, Gavin. "Change in workplace relations : the UK in the 1980s." Thesis, University of Kent, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.315096.
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Wikberg-Nilsson, Åsa. "Rethinking designing : collaborative probing of work and workplace change." Doctoral thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Innovation och Design, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-25742.
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The objective of the research presented in this thesis was to explore human experiences as ground for work and workplace design. The aim was to develop pragmatic tools and guidelines for work and workplace design based on a reflective design tradition. The study was undertaken between 2008-2010 in a research project called the ‘Future Factory’, which can be characterized as an experiment in change-by-design. The project background was a number of reports on young people opting out of industrial work and women being in the minority within the Swedish industry sector. Therefore, in this project the ambition was to particularly explore and emphasise young people’s and women’s ideas about future work and workplaces.The research involved exploring alternative solutions for a future factory through a series of change interventions with a variety of actors, through a so-called ‘design lab’ approach. The initial phase of this approach consisted of context mapping, as explorations of different actors’ experiences through interviews and observations. The resulting material was portrayed in the form of ‘Personas’. In this project, these fictional characters were used both to communicate and explore various actors’ perspectives in subsequent collaborative activities. Also, a group of young people contributed with Future scenarios. The scenarios were characterized as an idealized positive ‘Utopia’ and an idealized negative ‘Dystopia’, used as tools to discuss implications and alternative solutions. Both Personas and Scenarios were subsequently used in a series of Future Workshops with various project-related interest groups, such as industrial managers and employees and trade union representatives. In this project, a group of women and one of young people were also especially invited to explore visions of a future factory.The research presented in this thesis contributes to practice with methods, tools and guidelines for a reflective and innovative work and workplace design. The theoretical research contribution is the correlation between theories and concepts of change, learning by doing, doing gender, and a reflective design practice.Syftet med den forskning som presenteras i denna avhandling var att utforska människors erfarenheter som utgångspunkt för arbete och arbetsplatsdesign. Målet var att utveckla praktiska verktyg och riktlinjer för arbete och arbetsplatsdesign, som bygger på en reflekterande designtradition. Studien genomfördes mellan 2008-2010 i ett forskningsprojekt kallat "Framtidsfabriken". Detta project kan karaktäriseras som ett experiment i förändring genom design. Projektets bakgrund var ett antal rapporter om att ungdomar väljer bort industriarbete och att kvinnor är i minoritet i den svenska industrisektorn. Därför var utgångspunkten i detta projekt att särskilt undersöka och lyfta fram även ungdomars och kvinnors idéer om framtida arbeten och arbetsplatser i en industriell kontext.Forskningen bestod av att undersöka nya alternativa lösningar för en framtida fabrik genom en serie av förändringsinterventioner med en rad olika aktörer, genom ett tillvägagångssätt kallat "design labs". Den första fasen bestod av kartläggning av industriella kontexter, genom undersökningar av olika aktörers erfarenheter i intervjuer och observationer. Detta material användes sedan för utveckling av Personas. I detta projekt användes dessa fiktiva karaktärer både för att kommunicera och utforska olika aktörers erfarenheter i olika aktiviteter.Dessutom bidrog en grupp ungdomar med att utveckla Framtidsscenarier. Scenarierna karaktäriserades som en idealiserad positiv "utopi" och en idealiserad negativ "dystopi", som användes för att diskutera konsekvenser och alternativa lösningar. Både Personas och Scenarier användes sedan i en serie Framtidsverkstäder med olika intressegrupper, t.ex. industriell chefer och arbetstagare och fackliga företrädare. I detta projekt var även en grupp kvinnor och en grupp ungdomar särskilt inbjudna att undersöka visioner om en framtida fabrik. Forskningen som presenteras i denna avhandling bidrar praktiskt med metoder, verktyg och riktlinjer för reflekterande och innovativ arbete och arbetsplatsdesign. Det teoretiska forskningsbidraget är sambandet mellan teorier och begrepp som förändring, lärande, genus och reflekterande design.
Godkänd; 2012; 20120112 (asawi); DISPUTATION Ämnesområde: Industriell design/Industrial Design Opponent: Docent Eva Brandt Danmarks designskole, Köpenhamn Ordförande: Professor Ylva Fältholm, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik och samhälle, Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Fredag den 24 februari 2012, kl 10.00 Plats: E632, Luleå tekniska universitet
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Costard, Jano. "Coping with Change in Markets, the Workplace and Communities." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/18174.
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Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert Wandel in Märkten, am Arbeitsplatz und in Gemeinschaften.
Es wird gezeigt, dass Firmen, die bisher erfolgreich und technisch überlegen waren, scheitern
können, wenn neue Märkte entstehen. Dabei wird das Paradox aufgelöst, dass Firmen auch scheitern können, wenn die technische Überlegenheit ebenfalls auf die neuen Märkte zutrifft. Auf Basis eines erweiterten Modells aus dem Bereich der Industrieökonomik werden ein cannibalization effect und organizational diseconomies of scope als mögliche Gründe für ein Scheitern identifiziert. Fallstudien zu den Unternehmen Kodak, Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer und Digital Equipment Corporation legen den Schluss nahe, dass für alle drei Unternehmen organizational diseconomies of scope ausschlaggebend für ihr Scheitern waren.
In einem Experiment wird gezeigt, wie Teilnehmer auf eine Änderung des Lohns oder der
Arbeitsanforderung reagieren. Gleichzeitig wird analysiert, wie die im Gesicht ausgedrückten
Emotionen im Zusammenhang stehen mit der Änderung von Lohn oder Arbeitsanforderung sowie einer möglichen Anpassung der Arbeitsleistung.
In einem weiteren Experiment wird gezeigt, dass Solidarität nicht unter allen Umständen gewährt wird. Während eine Gruppe der Teilnehmer weniger solidarisch ist mit denjenigen, die vermeidbares Risiko eingegangen sind, verhält es sich bei anderen Teilnehmern genau andersherum. Insbesondere zeigen Teilnehmer mit größerer Risikobereitschaft auch mehr Solidarität gegenüber anderen Teilnehmern, die vermeidbares Risiko eingehen, als gegenüber solchen, die Risiken vermeiden.This text studies change in markets, the workplace and communities. I show how firms that have been successful and technologically superior can fail when new markets arise. In doing so, I resolve the paradox of firms failing in new markets in which they had a technological advantage as well. Based on a model of industry evolution, I show how firms can fail in new markets despite a technological advantage due to a cannibalization effect or organizational diseconomies of scope. Three case studies of firms Kodak, Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer and Digital Equipment Corporation suggest that for all three of them organizational diseconomies of scope were decisive in their failure. In an experiment, we show how subjects react to a change in wage or workload. At the same time, we analyze their facial expression of emotion and link these to the subjects being informed of changes in wage or workload and a potential future change in effort. In an additional experiment, we show how people differentiate when showing solidarity. In particular, people hold others responsible for factors that are within their control. Because of that, subjects can receive less solidarity if they decide to take avoidable risk. However, the opposite can be observed as well. People who took risks themselves show more solidarity towards others that took avoidable risks than towards people that actual avoided this risk.
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Packery, Ronalda. "Change management and communication: factors influencing the successful communication of change at a workplace." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1009.
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Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Business Administration in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyChange management and communication have been studied by researchers in the past. In this case the researcher identified the need to investigate specific factors influencing the successful communication of change at a workplace. The organisation used in this study recently experienced a range of changes and was the perfect case for the study. The paper deals with the communication of change to employees of different (1) age groups, (2) levels of education, and (3) positions in the organisation. The planning for this study was presented in a research proposal to the higher degrees committee (HDC) of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). The researcher reviewed literature from previous studies and defined key concepts to be used in this study. The revised literature of previous studies, applicable to this study, can be found in Chapter 3 of this thesis. The researcher used the mixed method research design for the study. Data was collected through qualitative and quantitative research methods, using a questionnaire and interviews as data collection tools. The data collected with the questionnaire was analysed by use of the statistical package for social science (SPSS) to generate descriptive results. The data collected during the interviews was analysed qualitatively. The research findings indicate that the organisational change communication strategy does not provide for differentiation between age groups, varying education levels or positions in the organisation. The division, in which the research was performed, has its own internal ways of dealing with the differences in education levels and positions. Recommendations and suggestions are presented in Chapter 7. It is intended that this research will contribute to academic knowledge in the fields of change management and change communication fields. Further studies on this phenomenon will be required as the organisational environments are ever-changing.
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Lonti, Zsuzsanna. "The impact of work characteristics and technological change on the adoption of workplace practices in government workplaces." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp02/NQ53770.pdf.
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Mealor, Tony UNSW. "Catalysts, Continuity and Change: Workplace Restructuring in the Chemical Industry." Awarded by:University of New South Wales, 1999. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/17030.
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The thesis describes and analyses a long-term transformative change program conducted at ICI (Australia) Botany Site between the years 1987 - 1997. The change program is unusual in that, after a massive and destructive confrontation between management and the unions, a new collaborative approach to change was developed which led to significant organisational renewal. Change interventions developed in the program have diffused through Australian industry over the decade. The program is analysed within the framework of a theoretical model which describes a path taken towards achieving a capable organisation which can sustain productive performance. The thesis uses evidence from the case to investigate issues of management style, governance, flexibility, 'bundled interventions', productivity, work organisation, downsizing, reward systems, skills acquisition and self-managed teams. A theoretical model of organisational change is developed which suggests how the treatment of these contingencies can lead to organisational capability.
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Celnar, Christine. "Personality and justice predictors of workplace resistance to organizational change." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape10/PQDD_0021/MQ47993.pdf.
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Wagner, Wendy Maxine. "Psychological preparation for major challenge and change in the workplace." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/MQ59491.pdf.
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Jenkins, Sarah Louise. "Gendering workplace change : an analysis of women in six organisations." Thesis, Northumbria University, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.268167.
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Struwig, Anton. "Commitment as a factor to facilitate change in the workplace." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50298.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today's economy demands that organisations' continually change the way they do business. The agility and efficiency with which organisations can implement change are vital in ensuring their continued competitiveness. Unfortunately, people's fear of the unknown results in a natural propensity to resist change. This presents significant challenges that management must overcome in order to implement desired changes to improve organisational efficiencies and overall stakeholder value. This study investigates the importance of employee commitment in implementing workplace change through a review of related literature and the analyses of primary data collected. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to all employees within Media24 IT. The findings indicate a strong relationship between commitment and change. Especially one type of commitment displays significant importance with respect to workplace change, i.e. commitment that deals with an employee's emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the organisation. Additionally, certain drivers of commitment are investigated and conclusions presented. However, it is recommended that further research might be necessary. This is mainly due to the fact that the primary data collected could be seen as merely a reflection of the situation within a single organisation at a certain period in time.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vandag se ekonomie vereis dat organisasies vooortdurend die wyse waarop hulle besigheid doen, moet verander. Die tempo en doeltreffendheid waarmee organisasies verandering kan implementeer, is van deurslaggewende belang vir hul voortgesette kompeterendheid. Ongelukkig veroorsaak mense se vrees vir die onbekende 'n natuurlike geneigdheid om verandering teen te staan. Dit bied aan bestuur aansienlike uitdagings wanneer gewenste veranderings om organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en belanghebberwaarde te verbeter, geimplemenleer moet word. Hierdie werkstuk ondersoek die belangrikheid van werknemers se toegewydheid ten opsigte van die implementering van verandering by die werkplek deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en die analise van primere data wat ingesamel is. Die data is deur middel van 'n vraelys wat aan al Media24 IT se personeellede gestuur is, ingesamel. Die bevindings dui 'n sterk verwantskap tussen toegewydheid en verandering aan. Veral een tipe toegewydheid wat handel oor 'n werknemer se emosionele verbintenis tot die organisasie, asook identifikasie met en betrokkenheid by die organisasie, toon 'n sterk invloed op verandering in die werkplek. Addisioneel word sekere drywers van toegewydheid ondersoek en afleidings gemaak. Daar word egter aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing moontlik nodig mag wees. Dit is hoofsaaklik weens die feit dat die primere data wat ingesamel is, gesien kan word as 'n blote weerspieeling van die situasie binne 'n enkele organisasie op 'n gegewe tydstip.
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Schliemann, Désirée. "The workplace as a setting to encourage dietary behaviour change." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2017. https://pure.qub.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-workplace-as-a-setting-to-encourage-dietary-behaviour-change(ae4f8ff2-adcd-4fd5-a296-f725b0cd3353).html.
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Evidence suggests that the workplace is a potentially effective setting for interventions to reach a large number of people from different professions and socio-demographic backgrounds and promote dietary behaviour change. As businesses are likely to benefit from healthier staff, employers are recognising the potential that supporting staff in leading healthier lifestyles may have and are becoming increasingly supportive of workplace wellbeing programmes. However, most evidence on behaviour change in the workplace comes from interventions addressing multiple health behaviours, making it difficult to draw conclusions on effective diet-related strategies. The main focus of this thesis has been to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition workplace interventions on diet-, health- and work-related outcome measures; to identify demographic characteristics that may influence food choice in working populations; and the barriers and motivators of catering establishments to provide healthier food options.
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Becker, Karen Louise. "Unlearning in the workplace : a mixed methods study." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2007. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16574/1/Karen_Louise_Becker_Thesis.pdf.
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Contemporary organisations face a raft of challenges in coping with competing demands and rapidly changing environments. With these demands and changes comes the need for those within the organisation to be adequately skilled to meet these challenges both now and into the future. There is a growing concern that the rate of change is such that learning will not be sufficient and that individuals will need to be skilled in unlearning or letting go of past practice and behaviour.
This research investigated individual unlearning as it applies in the workplace, and enabled the development of a process model of unlearning that provides specific indication of factors affecting unlearning during times of change.
In particular, this thesis highlights the critical importance of elements of a more personal and affective nature; often referred to as "soft" issues. Six key factors at the level of the individual were identified as impacting unlearning; positive prior outlook, individual inertia, feelings and expectations, positive experience and informal support, understanding the need for change, and assessment of the new way.
Two factors emerged from the organisational level that also impact unlearning; organisational support and training and history of organisational change. Many change efforts will fail because of lack of attention to individuals, how they unlearn and the level of feelings and expectations that accompany change. This research demonstrates that organisations must provide resources and education to provide both those in supervisory roles and those impacted by change with the necessary skills to unlearn and to embrace change at an individual level.
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Becker, Karen Louise. "Unlearning in the workplace : a mixed methods study." Queensland University of Technology, 2007. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16574/.
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Contemporary organisations face a raft of challenges in coping with competing demands and rapidly changing environments. With these demands and changes comes the need for those within the organisation to be adequately skilled to meet these challenges both now and into the future. There is a growing concern that the rate of change is such that learning will not be sufficient and that individuals will need to be skilled in unlearning or letting go of past practice and behaviour. This research investigated individual unlearning as it applies in the workplace, and enabled the development of a process model of unlearning that provides specific indication of factors affecting unlearning during times of change. In particular, this thesis highlights the critical importance of elements of a more personal and affective nature; often referred to as "soft" issues. Six key factors at the level of the individual were identified as impacting unlearning; positive prior outlook, individual inertia, feelings and expectations, positive experience and informal support, understanding the need for change, and assessment of the new way. Two factors emerged from the organisational level that also impact unlearning; organisational support and training and history of organisational change. Many change efforts will fail because of lack of attention to individuals, how they unlearn and the level of feelings and expectations that accompany change. This research demonstrates that organisations must provide resources and education to provide both those in supervisory roles and those impacted by change with the necessary skills to unlearn and to embrace change at an individual level.
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Thomson, Pamela. "The gendered effects of workplace change in the Canadian garment industry." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.242374.
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Kazi, A. "Promoting physical activity in the workplace : a stage of change approach." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2013. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/13404.
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Regular physical activity is associated with improved physiological and psychological wellbeing, by reducing the risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. There is a common perception that physical activity levels in the population are declining, and one of the biggest changes affecting this is occupational based activity. Since adults spend on average over 50% of their waking hours at work, work sites have the potential to be an important setting for health promotion initiatives. Cognitions and behaviours are key causal factors behind many of today s most widespread health problems and illnesses. The stage of change model has been highlighted as having intuitive appeal because it considers the dynamic nature of attitudes and behaviour change. This thesis is concerned with the application of the stage of change model to an occupational health intervention promoting physical activity. Several research studies were undertaken to explore the experiences of employees with workplace health initiatives and investigate the strategies and practices used by occupational health to promote healthy behaviours. These research studies highlighted the barriers and facilitators to successful health interventions and contributed towards the design, development and implementation of an activity promotion intervention. Additional research was also conducted to develop information materials based on the stage of change model. The stage approach was simplified and intervention materials were classified based on whether employees were thinking about making a change or not thinking about making a change to their activity levels. In order to test the materials, a twelve month intervention was implemented in ten work sites across the UK that were allocated to one of three groups. Two groups received information materials and one group received no information during the intervention period (control group). The difference between the two groups who received information was that one group received standard activity promotion information (standard group) and the second group received tailored information based on their stage of change construct (staged group). Participants in the staged intervention group demonstrated significant decreases in body mass index, fat percentage, waist circumference, blood pressure and resting heart rate following the twelve month intervention. In contrast, reductions were identified for the standard intervention group for waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure. Finally, there were no long-term significant improvements identified for the control group. However, group comparisons revealed there were no significant differences between the intervention conditions. The intervention also recorded self-reported psychological outcomes, which demonstrated variations throughout the intervention period for all groups. The potential reasons for these inconsistent outcomes are discussed. A process evaluation following the intervention demonstrated employees valued the health screenings and identified issues relating to knowledge, behaviour change and health implications that were important outputs of the intervention. Based on these findings, the research concludes there is scope to make physical activity interventions in the workplace more effective by applying the stage of change approach. Using the process of simplifying the stages and focusing on whether employees want to change their behaviours or not allows occupational health to deliver information that could be more meaningful and have a significant impact on behaviour change. By understanding employees readiness to change their activity behaviours and targeting information based on their beliefs, attitudes and intentions to change may produce significant improvements in health outcome measures compared to standard information. The results also suggest there is potential for this type of tailored intervention to be extended to other occupational health issues.
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Cheney, Alan B. (Alan Bruce). "Critical Expectations of Workers Undergoing a Major Change in the Workplace." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1990. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc330706/.
Full textAbstract:
In an effort to determine whether job satisfaction and expectations in a group of workers undergoing major change in the workplace differ from groups of workers not undergoing major change, data were collected from three groups of workers at the operator level in a major U.S. electronics manufacturing company. Two of the groups were not undergoing a major work redesign and served as control groups. A group undergoing the early stages of a major work redesign, characterized primarily by their formation into a self-managed work team, served as the experimental group. The experimental group and one control group were located at the same manufacturing plant, while the other control group was located at another plant. It was hypothesized that the group of workers undergoing change would differ in job satisfaction and that over time, the difference would grow. It was also hypothesized that the group undergoing change would have different expectations about the nature of their jobs in the future. Data were collected from members of the three groups using a modified version of Hackman and Oldham's (1980) Job Diagnostic Survey, with two administrations of the survey seven months apart. Data were analyzed using a 3 (Groups) X 2 (Perception: "Now" versus "Near Future") x 2 (Administration) factorial design, with repeated measures Oil the Perception variable. Results revealed a difference in job satisfaction between the groups, as hypothesized. Results also revealed that members of the experimental group did have a few expectations for the future not held by members of the control groups; otherwise, expectations differed very little between the groups. Explanations for these findings are offered. This study suggests that those charged with implementing major change in the workplace should keep in mind that they may not see dramatic reactions from workers asked to make major changes, at least at the earliest stages of the change.
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Gursoy, Serkan. "Information Technology, Workplace Organization And The Case Of Sisecam." Master's thesis, METU, 2003. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/1171446/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines the relations among information technology (IT),
workplace organization and the demand for skilled labor. Recently, demand for
skilled labor has relatively increased. One of the causes of this great increase is skill-
biased technical change. Firms that are intensive users of IT tend to adopt a
complementary set of organizational practices that include: decentralization of
decision authority and a greater reliance on skill and human capital. I have explored
the affects of IT on skill and organizational architecture of firm by using a detailed
data which was collected from the aioecam Group of Company. I have tested that IT
usage is complementary or substitutionary to a new workplace organization which
includes broader job responsibilities, more decentralized decision-making and more
self-managing teams together with IT and new organization are complements with
worker skill measured in variety of ways.
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Weidenstedt, Linda. "A Sociology of Empowerment : The Relevance of Communicative Contexts for Workplace Change." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Sociologiska institutionen, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-146521.
Full textAbstract:
Empowerment has been a popular concept in management and leadership practice and research for more than forty years. The intentions behind empowerment at the workplace are positive: empowered employees should experience a greater degree of influence, decision-making latitude, and meaningfulness. This is achieved through transfers of power, such as increases in autonomy and responsibility. Although empowerment efforts have often been shown to successfully result in empowered and highly involved employees, there has also been research that shows the opposite: the so-called paradox of empowerment is a well-known problem that refers to failed empowerment efforts through which beneficiaries feel disempowered rather than empowered. This thesis comprises three papers intended to contribute to empowerment research and practice within a sociological framework that offers a better understanding of implicit assumptions between employer and employee and the unintended consequences these can have on the outcome of empowerment change efforts. The analyses utilize a communicative approach in line with sociological and social-psychological theories of communication and interaction. The first two papers are theoretical analyses, one examining the general concept of empowerment (Paper I), the other focusing more specifically on empowerment in workplace contexts (Paper II). Paper III is an empirical analysis that investigates some of the theoretical assumptions made in Papers I and II. The first paper analyzes empowerment from a sociological point of view and identifies possible mechanisms behind the paradox of empowerment. It is argued that such paradoxes may evolve from discrepancies between approaching empowerment from a purely economic and structural perspective versus a communicative and relational one. It concludes with the observation that, although their agency may be increased on a structural level, empowerees may experience a parallel decrease of agential options on a communicative level. The second paper deals with empowerment at the workplace as a management or leadership technique. Focusing on relational aspects, a “basic communicative structure” is identified. This is analyzed as comprising a contractual and a communicative context that should be taken into consideration by empowerers in order to avoid misunderstandings in the recipients’ sensemaking processes. Paper II concludes by arguing that the way recipients make sense of their roles and situations as defined by employment and/or psychological contracts might not necessarily be in line with the communicative meanings they ascribe to the change agents’ actions, and vice versa. The third paper analyzes employees’ orientations and attitudes toward empowerment and the relevance of their attitudes for the success of empowerment efforts. These issues are explored by means of survey data from 268 employees in the Swedish retail sector. Results indicate that age and work intensity (part-time vs. full-time), as well as cohabitation status may have significant impacts on how empowerment efforts are approached and received by employees. The thesis as a whole provides insights into sociological issues of empowerment, both generally and particularly in management and leadership contexts and concludes that the communicative context of empowerment interactions plays a significant role in employees’ empowerment orientations.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript.
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Muller, Catherina Elizabeth. "Nurse led change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy / C.E. Muller." Thesis, North-West University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4641.
Full textAbstract:
Globally, nurses' contribution to informed health policy decisions is limited, as there are many
barriers to Nurse led change to successfully influence the HIV and AIDS policy process. In
South Africa nurses at all levels of health care are not involved or consulted during the
formulation of the HIV and AIDS workplace policy. This has led to concern about the
absence of nurses at the policy table. This study forms part of a larger international study
programme entitled: “Strengthening Nurses’ Capacity in HIV and AIDS Policy Development
in Sub–Saharan Africa and the Caribbean”. This programme of international research aims
to empower nurses to become involved in the policy process (formulation, implementation
and evaluation) in order to strengthen health systems in the areas of HIV and AIDS care.
Nurses' absence at the policy table prompted the researcher to explore and describe barriers
to Nurse led change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy. Phase 1 of the research
consisted of a literature review to identify barriers to Nurse led change to influence the HIV
and AIDS workplace policy. Management's opinion about the human resource management
capacity and problems experienced working in an HIV and AIDS environment was obtained
through a quantitative and qualitative empirical method of data collection and analysis.
Frontline nurses' perspective was obtained through qualitative interviewing to identify
problems experienced with policy in an HIV and AIDS workplace environment. A mixedmethod
triangulation research design was used to achieve the objectives of phase 1 of the
study, and strategies applied included exploratory, descriptive and contextual designs.
The analysis of the data contributed to the identification and classification of problems
experienced by nurses to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy at macro, meso and
microlevel, resulting in the formulation of fifty–nine (59) concluding problem statements.
These concluding statements formed the basis for the strategy development for Nurse led
change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy, which was the only objective of the
second phase of the research. The strategy for Nurse led change to influence HIV and AIDS workplace policy was
developed by using a strategic process to determine the vision, mission, values, principles,
assumptions, strategic objectives and functional tactics based on the concluding problem
statements. Finally, the research was evaluated, limitations were identified and
recommendations were formulated for practice, education, research and policy.Thesis (Ph.D. (Nursing))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.
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Warren, Kathryn Lloyd. "Agents of change| A new role for learners in online workplace training." Thesis, Capella University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3625946.
Full textAbstract:
Workplace training design has evolved from a task-based systems framework managed by the designer, to a collaborative process of problem-solving that includes stakeholders across the enterprise. Collaborative design models address persistent problems, such as cost efficiency, requirements that change late in development, and aggressive timetables, but perceptions of training effectiveness continue to be pessimistic. Given the substantial role of employees in making training effective, by transferring what they learn to their day-to-day responsibilities, this study proposed an emergent design model in which designers collaborate with employees as partners in solving training design problems. Previous efforts to include employees in training design have faltered, because of time and resource requirements which limit participation or greatly expand timelines. This study investigated the potential of broad employee participation, through the widely-used medium of organizational surveys, in which employees are invited to suggest ways to improve their work environment. The study applied a three-phase, mixed methods approach, to investigate whether survey text responses contain viable input into training design, and to explore the nature of that input in terms of major themes about workplace training, and detailed input reflecting employees' experience of online training. Nearly 90,000 text responses were accepted into the study, from industries that include pharmaceuticals, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications and financial services. Analysis exposed the inherent conflict between the designer's focus on training delivery, and the employees' focus on transferring what they learn to their jobs; and a widespread organizational conflict between leadership compensation tied to short-term financial metrics, and long-term strategies that drive infrastructure programs such as workplace training. Responses across all industry sectors in the study reported limited management support for training, which is nonetheless essential to employees' job performance. Responses described online training that makes only minimal use of the basic functions of computer technology. The study validates earlier research questioning workplace training effectiveness, with evidence suggesting that training programs are constrained by organizational challenges that cannot be solved by designers alone. The study suggests that organizations can involve their employees in addressing the conflicts that limit training effectiveness, through design partnership using survey responses.
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Duffy, Patrick. "The skilled compositor : change, cooperation and conflict in the workplace 1850-1914." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.242136.
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Fisher, Michael. "Limits to the managerial state : negotiating workplace change in the civil service." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.270801.
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Mackavey, Maria Georgiopoulos. "Synectics as a planned change theory : understanding its applications in the workplace." Thesis, Boston University, 1988. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/38068.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ed. D.)--Boston University, 1988. Dept. of Administration, Training, and Policy StudiesPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
2031-01-01
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Jongens, Christina. "To what extent do the different social environments in Cape Town and Johannesburg influence the organisational culture of The Company in those places and how does this impact on the ways that black African managers navigate borders and negotiate identity in the workplace." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11822.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-85).This dissertation attempts to give a better understanding of how the different social environments in Cape Town and Johannesburg influence organisational culture at The Company and how this impacts on the ways that black African managers navigate borders and negotiate identity in the workplace. The hypothesis of this study is that race and 'laid-backness' are key differentiating factors between The Company in Cape Town and in Johannesburg. This is a descriptive case study that mixes both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collecting and analysing data, however it is primarily a qualitative study. The study focuses on two branches of the same company. 43 out of a total of 138 black African managers were surveyed and 22 of these were interviewed. The selection was a good cross-section of all middle and senior black African managers, as well as from both genders. A questionnaire comprising of a 21-point values survey and a series of open-ended unstructured and structured questions was used in the quantitative data collection process. A semi-structured interview schedule was used in the qualitative data collection process. The qualitative data was analysed using Miles and Huberman's (2004) two-level coding process with the assistance of Nvivo and the quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics with the assistance of Statistica.
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Mazile, One. "Labour market and spatial mismatch in Cape Town." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8948.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-54).The paper undertakes to research a spatial and skills mismatch in the city of Cape Town. The argument is that industry is moving towards the north of the city and away from areas of the south east. This physically displaces low and semi-skilled employees or potential employees who work or seek work in these firms. Areas of the south east are typically inhabited by low and semi-skilled workers who are forced to seek work away from where they live. This is because their areas are economically inactive and do not offer much prospects for development or employment in the current situation. We find that prospective employees or those already employed have to endure lengthy and expensive commutes to work on a daily basis. The city transport system, which includes bus, train and taxis, seems to be still largely inefficient and does not serve these employees well, or is not readily accessible in all the areas it is needed. The research was conducted in the industrial areas of Montague Gardens, Blackheath, Paarden Island, Epping Industria, Airport Industria and Phillipi. These areas were chosen because being industrial areas they would typically have a large number of low to semiskilled workers employed in their firms. Unlike professional or service related firms who would typically employ more qualified or educated (in terms of tertiary qualifications) workers. An interview schedule was prepared and we went to these areas and interviewed which ever firms agreed to it. The firms in the area were chosen in no specific way, we literally went for door to door asking for participants. The research was qualitative in nature, the interview questions were detailed and in depth (see appendices for actual schedule) and lasted for about 20m ins depending on the amount of time the interviewees were willing to spare. The results were analysed by comparing the reasons for relocating amongst each firm, the aim was to try and decipher what were the driving factors of this spatial shift and what implications it had for employees who had to endure these commutes. The significant findings are that the relocation or the move towards the north is driven by the availability of land or space and price. The north seems to offer more affordable premises and much more land, thus more value for money. There are adequate parking and storage facilities. Firms hardly considered workers in their search for new locations. Further south east employees are not left out of potential employment because of their physical distance from these economic nodes, most employees have managed to organise themselves and get to work, even with an unbalanced transport system.
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Naidu, Claudia. "Spatial mismatch in Cape Town : business location and the impacts on workers." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8955.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-69).The south east and cape flats regions of Cape Town is home to abundant supplies of cheap and available unskilled labour. With the awareness that Cape Town may be slowly following the developmental path of Johannesburg and many other cities of the world, as decentralization, suburbanization, and the overall processes of economic 'tertiarisation' and urban transformation encompass the entire structure and culture of the city, we wonder about how the cities unskilled workforces are faring. Development has focused on the north of the city while the south east has been bypassed, causing residents to have to travel far out to find jobs and work. There is a clear spatial mismatch between places of work and places of residence for the workers of the South east, and overcoming this disconnection is challenged further by an inefficient and expensive public transport service, upon which they are fully dependent. By way of the interviews with businesses from various industrial areas in Cape Town, this thesis shows that many owners and management do not place much importance on where their workers, in particular unskilled and semi-skilled manual workers live and how they travel. It seems that when choosing a location for their businesses, size, price, and availability may limit owners' options of location choice and interviews reveal that owners may be responding to rather than driving development. Findings reveal that unskilled manual workers typically reside in the south east, while business owners, management and other white collar workers typically live in the northern and southern suburbs, as well as other central areas. Furthermore, transport patterns were evaluated and it is clear that the unskilled workers rely heavily on public transport while higher skilled occupational groups either have their own car, or are part of lift-clubs. The problem of a spatial mismatch is clearly skewed towards workers of the south east who rely on public transport, by intensifying the burdens of commuting times and costs. A further finding is that many businesses resort to highly informal methods of recruitment, such as word-of-mouth and internal referral techniques, revealing the significance of social networks in gaining access to job opportunities. This is especially important for workers trying to find employment in areas outside of the traditional economic nodes as it is expensive to commute to those areas regularly in search of employment. Having access to those businesses through employed family members, neighbours and relatives, is therefore critical.
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Ribeiro, Marisa Ferreira. "An evaluation of skills development in a sample of metal and engineering firms in Gauteng." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11541.
Full textAbstract:
Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-127).
The metal and engineering industry is one of the most significant contributors to South Africa’s manufacturing employment and economic performance. In recent times though debate regarding the industry has centered on reported critical skills shortages, alluding to decreased employment and performance. Studies confirmed that skills shortages at artisan, technical, engineering and management levels existed with artisans representing the most critical skills shortage in the industry. This study evaluates the nature and extent of skills development taking place in a sample of metal and engineering firms located in the industry’s most significant province, Gauteng. Research was conducted through interviews with skills development representatives from a non-randomly selected sample of firms belonging to three categories in the metals beneficiation value chain, namely: raw material processing firms; intermediate product producing firms and finished product producing firms.
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Zimba, Machilu. "Design houses in the Cape Town clothing value chain of production." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8115.
Full textAbstract:
Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-81).
This exploratory study aimed to investigate the role that design houses play in the Cape Town clothing value chain of production. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants, buyers in clothing retail companies, heads of design rooms in design houses, and homeworkers. Findings reveal that design houses act as intermediaries between retailers and clothing manufacturers or between retailers and homeworkers. In their latter role design houses are forging links between the informal and formal clothing economy. As in buyer-driven chains of production, retailers in the clothing value chain wield a substantial amount of power in determining prices. It was found that design houses are not completely powerless in their relationship with retailers, in fact, they posses knowledge that enables them to bargain over prices. The relationship between design houses and homeworkers was found to be an oppressive one, with homeworkers possessing little to no bargaining power. The increase in the number of design houses in Cape Town has assisted in the survival of the industry in the face of a number of difficulties. The continued presence of design houses creates the potential for development in the industry.
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Sayers, Roslyn, and roslyn sayers@rmit edu au. "Australia's Changing Workplace: A Generational Perspective." RMIT University. Economics, Finance and Marketing, 2006. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20070122.102821.
Full textAbstract:
This research investigates generational differences in Australian workers. In particular it focuses on changing trends and influences in the workplace and how different generations view and deal with these changes. The study focuses on Baby Boomers (born 1945-1963), Generation X (born 1964-1977) and Generation Y (born 1978 - 1994) across four industry sectors: Corporate, Education, Government and Not for Profit. The Australian workforce currently consists of four generations - all having distinct characteristics, working styles, needs and expectations. These differences pose challenges and opportunities to workforce management. The first step in managing the generations and their differences is to identify where the differences lie and to understand how best to cope with and exploit these differences. This research, in taking a generational cohort perspective towards analysing the modern workplace, seeks to explore how the different generations view the trends and influences that impact their work; and their attitudes towards technology, communication, work/life balance, organisational loyalty, attraction, engagement and retention. The study uses a multi-phase qualitative approach and includes in-depth interviews with a range of Australian industry experts; discussion groups held with Gen Ys, Gen Xers and Baby Boomer employees, in four organisations across four industry sectors; and in-depth interviews with senior executives in the same four organisations. This research will have significance to all organisations especially those that employ workers from across the generations and who are managing a multigenerational workforce. The findings will have practical application to organisational policy development in areas such as, work/life balance, attraction, engagement and retention of employees, reward and recognition systems, technology in the workplace and training and development. The study adds to the body of knowledge in workforce management, and in particular to the emerging body of knowledge on generational cohort analysis of the workplace in the Australian context. The study found significant generational differences that when harnessed and managed effectively, can contribute to the output and performance of the organisation as a whole.
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Rosenfield, Adam (Adam Isaac). "Driving change : how workplace benefits can nudge solo car commuters toward sustainable modes." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/117826.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2018.Thesis: S.M. in Transportation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2018.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged student-submitted from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-229).
This thesis investigates the role that employer benefits can play in encouraging commuters to use sustainable modes of transportation, motivated by the increasing cost of parking provision at urban workplaces and the broader potential for travel demand management strategies to mitigate traffic congestion and pollution. In this research, case studies are conducted at two urban employers in Greater Boston. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at Partners HealthCare, employee transportation benefits were recently enhanced to encourage alternatives to driving. MIT, concerned about an upcoming reduction in parking supply, announced in 2016 that it would provide its more than ten thousand staff with a fully-subsidized local transit pass. In an agreement with the transit agency, MIT only pays for transit trips taken, thereby avoiding the expense of monthly passes for non-riders while providing universality of coverage. For drivers, MIT eliminated annual parking permits in favor of daily, pay-as-you-park pricing to encourage multi-modality. The net result was an eight percent reduction in parking demand in the first year, at a net cost to MIT of about $200 per employee. Transit agency revenue increased as ridership among MIT employees rose approximately ten percent. Partners HealthCare was motivated to reduce its employee parking demand in the midst of consolidating fourteen administrative worksites to a new facility in Somerville, MA, and faced cityƯimposed parking restrictions. Like MIT, it introduced daily parking pricing, but tied the rates to employee income as an equity measure. Unlike MIT, it did not offer a universal transit pass, but increased monthly pass subsidies. With the new facility located along the MBTA Orange Line, there was a marked increase in transit ridership among employees who used to work in the suburbs, and today parking demand is well below anticipated levels. The thesis supplements these case studies with a randomized controlled experiment on two thouƯsand MIT car commuters, investigating how behavioral 'nudges' can further encourage reductions in driving. While no statistically significant reductions in parking were observed during the experiment, the combination of token monetary rewards and informational nudges appeared most effective at shifting travel behavior. This research illustrates the potential for travel demand management strategies to influence commuter mode choice, but reinforces the importance of carefully considering implementation deƯtails such as cost salience and user experience. Long-term success appears dependent on building a constituency of support for such strategies among employer, commuter and government stakeholders.
by Adam Rosenfield.
M.C.P.
S.M. in Transportation
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Weller, Stephen Adrian. "A study of organisational justice and participative workplace change in Australian higher education." Thesis, full-text, 2009. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2028/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores employee participation in the management of workplace change through an organisational justice framework within the context of the Australian Higher Education (HE) sector. The thesis examines the extent to which the Australian HE sector makes provisions for participative workplace change, the extent to which participants within the sector perceive participative workplace change as providing fairness, and practices that can facilitate and foster participative workplace change.
The provisions for participative workplace change are examined through a longitudinal study of enterprise bargaining agreements across all public universities in Australia for the period of 1997-2006. The research findings identify a decline in both the degree and form of employee participation in workplace change across this decade.
The perceptions of participative workplace change are examined through an altitudinal survey of management and union executives within all public universities in Australia. The research findings identify considerable divergence between management and union executives in relation to employee participation, workplace change and organisational justice.
The practices for participative workplace change are examined through twenty semi-structured interviews with management and union executives drawn from amongst the respondents to the attitudinal survey. The research findings identify areas of convergence around organisational justice dimensions and workplace change practices between management and union executives.
The thesis concludes that it is a combination of fair processes and fair interactions which are most effective in facilitating workplace change and fostering employee participation in the Australian HE sector and which in turn are seen to be able to contribute to shared perceptions of organisational justice.
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Weller, Stephen Adrian. "A study of organisational justice and participative workplace change in Australian higher education." full-text, 2009. http://eprints.vu.edu.au/2028/1/weller.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores employee participation in the management of workplace change through an organisational justice framework within the context of the Australian Higher Education (HE) sector. The thesis examines the extent to which the Australian HE sector makes provisions for participative workplace change, the extent to which participants within the sector perceive participative workplace change as providing fairness, and practices that can facilitate and foster participative workplace change. The provisions for participative workplace change are examined through a longitudinal study of enterprise bargaining agreements across all public universities in Australia for the period of 1997-2006. The research findings identify a decline in both the degree and form of employee participation in workplace change across this decade. The perceptions of participative workplace change are examined through an altitudinal survey of management and union executives within all public universities in Australia. The research findings identify considerable divergence between management and union executives in relation to employee participation, workplace change and organisational justice. The practices for participative workplace change are examined through twenty semi-structured interviews with management and union executives drawn from amongst the respondents to the attitudinal survey. The research findings identify areas of convergence around organisational justice dimensions and workplace change practices between management and union executives. The thesis concludes that it is a combination of fair processes and fair interactions which are most effective in facilitating workplace change and fostering employee participation in the Australian HE sector and which in turn are seen to be able to contribute to shared perceptions of organisational justice.
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Miller, Virginia L. "The effects of teachers' workplace experiences on their beliefs about teacher role in curriculum and instructional change /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9998497.
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Kothbauer, Teresa R. "Intercultural competencies required by organization development consultants." Online version, 2001. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2001/2001kothbauert.pdf.
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Schmuttermaier, John R. (John Richard) 1958. "A qualitative study of commitment in the workplace during a period of radical change." Monash University, School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8211.
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Inalhan, Goksenin. "The role of place attachment on employees' resistance to change in workplace accommodation projects." Thesis, University of Reading, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.485373.
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Wuest, Michael. "Corrective justice : staff dishonesty as a response to perceived unfair change in the workplace." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/39721.
Full textAbstract:
A core issue in criminology is to examine why humans engage in dishonest acts. The subject of this study is an examination of a situational motivation to offend which is detached from opportunity, thus having a focus on intrinsic situational offender motivation. This study hypothesises that employees who perceive their employer of treating staff unfairly hold more tolerant attitudes towards staff dishonesty. Consequently, this hypothesis implies that staff dishonesty can become an employee’s perceived justified means to even the score against an employer who is perceived of acting unfairly, which is referred to as corrective justice in this thesis. The thesis begins with an examination of the core concepts, staff dishonesty and injustice perceptions. With reference to staff dishonesty, property deviance, production deviance and the willingness to engage in whistle-blowing are focussed on. In order to conceptualise injustice perceptions of employees, this thesis will derive the dimensions of distributive injustice, procedural injustice and interactional injustice from the literature and conceptualise a further dimension of moral injustice. With the aim to test the research hypothesis, a self-completion online questionnaire was published in a large European company in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector - and answered by 463 respondents in the research setting. The first half of the questionnaire items measured perceptions of unfair treatment in the four injustice dimensions, while the second half of the questionnaire measured tolerance levels towards staff dishonesty. The findings of the subsequent statistical analysis show that up to 11.8 % of rises in tolerant attitudes towards staff dishonesty result from perceived unfair treatment in the course of reorganisations. This proven existence of a corrective justice effect is finally discussed with reference to its implications for business and criminological theory.
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Schmid, Yvonne [Verfasser], and Michael [Akademischer Betreuer] Dowling. "How Technologies Will Change the Workplace of the Future / Yvonne Schmid ; Betreuer: Michael Dowling." Regensburg : Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1225121450/34.
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Selmanovic, Erik. "Implementing and managing a digital change: : A case study of how three different Swedish office-based organizations are managing a change to a Digital Workplace." Thesis, Mälardalens högskola, Akademin för ekonomi, samhälle och teknik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-41084.
Full textAbstract:
Change within organizations is something that happens every day. Lately, more and more continuous digital changes are occurring that all need good management. If an organization implement too many digital changes without the right management during the implementation and following the implementation, it may cause more problems than what is gained. The question is, do you manage a digital change as you manage an “ordinary” change? To find out how managers are leading digital change, a study of how one of the current digital changes, the digital workplace, has been completed to see how the implementation was/is managed and how the completed change is continuously managed. The findings show that some steps in the change process differ from earlier studies and needs to be considered, mostly policies of how digital work should be implemented and completed. And the overall wellness of the workforce is the most important factor of the continuous management. This study will add to the wide area of management, mostly to the digital management and especially to them, yet not studied, the area of the digital workplace. It will serve as an addition, focused on the digital workplace, to great and accepted management studies such as the 8-step model of leading change. The study will also give some valuable tips for the continuous management of a digital workplace.
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Katz, Evie, and e. katz@latrobe edu au. "The anthropology of a workplace: the Victorian Land Titles Office." La Trobe University. School of Social Sciences, 1996. http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au./thesis/public/adt-LTU20070309.104743.
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This thesis uses a cultural perspective to explore the working life of employees in a government office during the 1980s. During that period three significant changes took place - in the promotion system, in management recruitment and policies, and in the introduction of computer technology. In comparing and contrasting these changes with past practices, we gain an understanding of the relationship between organisational culture and organisational change.
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Richardson, Sandra Kay. "Think-Assess-Design: a Model for Redesigning Traditional Organizations Into Empowered Work Environments." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278686/.
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"Think-Assess-Design" is a model for guiding traditional organizations through
the steps necessary to redesign themselves into a more empowered, team-based work
environment. Three broad steps—think, assess, and design—provided the framework
for organizational change in this case study.
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Allaway, Brian Moore. "Exploration of culture and change in the Scottish Fire Service : the effect of masculine identifications." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7577.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines the organisational culture of the Scottish Fire Service, and the political pressures for change emanating from the modernisation agenda of both the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments. Having completed a preliminary analysis of the Fire Service‟s culture, by examining the cultural history of the Scottish Fire Service and the process through which individuals are socialised into the Service, the study analyses the contemporary culture of the Service through research in three Scottish Fire Brigades. This research concludes that there is a clearly defined Fire Service culture, which is predicated on the operational task of fighting fire, based on strong teams and infused with masculinity at all levels. In these circumstances, the Service‟s cultural realities attempt to exclude women and are derisive in their regard for other more marginalised males. Following an analysis of Government driven imperatives for change, being applied to the Fire Service, it is further concluded that the resistance to change, evident within the cultural realities of the Service, can be defined as an attempt to defend one of the last bastions of male identification in the workplace.