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1
Chikono, Nathan Nomore. "Leadership Practices that Improve the Workplace Safety Environment." Thesis, Walden University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10259015.
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Inadequate leadership is the reason workplace accidents in the mining industry remain high, making the industry one of the most hazardous operational activities in the world. Unsafe leadership practices may result in death or injury to workers. A group of 30 mining company leaders from 3 gold mines in Zimbabwe revealed an exception to these hazardous practices, however, notable through their outstanding safety improvement records. To better understand what these practitioners were doing, this multicase study research design explored their strategies to improve the workplace safety environment in the mines. Data were collected using audio-recorded semistructured interviews and document analyses. Shewhart’s plan-do-check-act conceptual framework anchored the study. Data analysis followed the thematic data analytic approach involving classification, coding, and interpretation to identify common themes. The following themes emerged: planning and organizing, leading, and risk management. The findings indicate that the business leaders created a safe work environment by planning the work to be performed; how the task would be executed; and when, where, and who performed the task. The results of study also indicate that leaders designed the work environment, trained, empowered, and equipped employees with the relevant skills, and provided appropriate technology and personal protective equipment to improve workplace safety. Finally, the research findings indicate that leaders embedded risk management principles and practices in every process or activity, and continuously learned from each event to create a safe work environment. The findings promote social change by encouraging safe behavior and risk-based thinking and practices in the workforce and the community.
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Dantsiou, Dimitra. "(De)constructing and transforming workplace practices : feedback as an intervention." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2017. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/266740.
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Little empirical work has been conducted on workplace practices in university settings. Meanwhile, the impact of feedback on changing consumption patterns has been mainly studied through individualistic approaches. The academic workplace with its variety of users offers a setting that could provide a range of insights as to how practices form and change under the impact of efficiency interventions and, in turn, how relevant policies could be formed. This research looks at workplace practices related to the regulation of indoor temperature and the use of office equipment. It examines the potential of reducing energy usage in the workplace through a case study on the understanding of and interventions in practices using consumption feedback. A framework based on social practice theory is applied where daily practices are configured by routines, technologies, knowledge and meanings. The research takes place in a UK university building, where the provision of real-time consumption feedback through a display is employed to raise energy awareness. It follows a case study approach featuring three different office typologies and associated user groups: the shared, enclosed administrative office; the PhD open-plan office, and the post-doctoral cellular office. The study begins with an examination of the thermal characteristics and comfort preferences in the case study offices. It then examines how users shape their practices in the workplace. Finally, it observes the impact of feedback through real-time displays on the reduction of energy consumption. A mixed methods approach is employed combining qualitative and quantitative data. Semi- structured interviews and on-site observations are cross-related to environmental conditions monitoring, electricity audits and thermal comfort diaries. Data collection takes place in two phases— (February 2014 and July 2014) —to capture differences in practices between the winter and summer as well as before and after the installation of real-time displays. By exploring the empirical evidence through a practice theory framework, this research shows how social dynamics, the difference between the notion of comfort at home and work, and striving for productivity can prefigure ‘passive’ thermal comfort practices in the workplace. The real-time displays did not trigger change despite the fact electricity audits revealed a savings potential related to high standby use. The inadequacy of building maintenance structures, significant installation delays and the type of projected information were the main factors restricting change. The use of a practice approach advanced the understanding as to why it is so difficult to save energy at work and use feedback as a successful intervention. The combination of qualitative enquiry and energy audits meanwhile indicated the potential source of savings.
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Tomlinson, Keith Charles. "The contested terrains of workplace disciplinary processes and practices." Thesis, University of Central Lancashire, 2015. http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/17688/.
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It is widely acknowledged that discipline at work is a neglected area of study in the context of contemporary employee relations. Within the workplace the handling of discipline is largely prescribed by formal rules that are captured in policies, applied through procedures and then interpreted by the actors who facilitate this process. This thesis argues that an empirical understanding of the disciplinary process can only be achieved if it includes an appreciation of the nature of the relationship that is established during the disciplinary process and that this is crucial for us to develop a full understanding of the dynamics that take place within this activity and between these functions. It contends that throughout the process of disciplinary handling there exists a highly contested terrain (Edwards, 1979) that is constantly contended by the various actors that play out this vital role in relation to aspects of power, control and consent.
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Whitworth, James. "Links between high-performance workplace practices and turnover intent: An exploration of the relationship between workplace practices, embeddedness and career stage using moderated mediation." Thesis, Whitworth, James (2019) Links between high-performance workplace practices and turnover intent: An exploration of the relationship between workplace practices, embeddedness and career stage using moderated mediation. Masters by Coursework thesis, Murdoch University, 2019. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/60744/.
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High staff turnover in the workplace has been known in psychological and business literature to negatively impact organisation performance and staff wellbeing. Recent research into staff turnover has sought to explore the organisational and community factors that act to keep employees engaged in their current roles, and Job Embeddedness Theory (JET), has emerged to explore and understand these reasons. JET has been shown to be causally linked to organisational outcomes such as turnover, staff productivity and job satisfaction. The present study aims to explore the role of organisational embeddedness in mediating the relationship between workplace human resource practices and staff turnover, and thus further explore the impact of workplace strategy, policy and procedure in retaining staff. This study comprehensively evaluated the links between High-Performance Work Practices (HPWP) and individual turnover intent, utilising a moderated-mediation research model. Results based on an Australian sample of 274 employees indicate that some clusters of HPWPs, primarily skills/ability-enhancing practices, have a statistically significant impact on staff turnover intent. These effects are observed to occur directly and via the mediating role of job embeddedness. Results suggest that workplace human resources practices act to increase job embeddedness and in turn, reduce turnover. However, further research in these areas is required to understand the mechanisms by which these outcomes occur.
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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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Mboniswa, Hlangalwethu. "Best practices in dealing with substance abuse in the workplace." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8542.
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The research study was to identify what strategies could be used by organizations in managing or containing substance abuse in the workplace. In solving the research problems, the following actions were taken: A literature study was conducted to identify the scope and impact of substance abuse in the workplace; A literature study was also conducted to identify the strategies to prevent and contain substance abuse in the workplace;The findings from the literature studies were integrated into a model of best practices for the management of substance abuse in the workplace; The model was used as a basis for the development of a survey questionnaire to determine which strategies and wellness activities the surveyed companies were using. The questionnaire survey was administered at 25 companies in Port Elizabeth. The empirical results revealed that substance abuse was common at all organizations and the size of the organization had no bearing on the extent of the substance abuse problem. The majority of the participants in the study indicated that they experienced substance abuse problems in their organizations with alcohol consumption being the main problem at these organizations. The results also revealed that companies were not doing enough in terms of education and awareness campaigns. The lack of campaigns and education material could pose a difficult challenge to deal with and could result in companies experiencing adverse performance. Another contributing factor in the prevalence of substance abuse in the workplace was that alcohol and tobacco were referred to as socially acceptable substances.
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Stump, Carrie Anne. "Communicating relational values in organizational practices: A study of workplace discourse." Connect to online resource, 2008. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1460194.
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Doyle, Elizabeth. "Identifying Best Practices for Gender Diversity in Leadership Roles in the Workplace." Ohio University Honors Tutorial College / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1429795787.
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Adonis, Bernice. "Workplace literacy practices of clerks in the South African Police Services (SAPS)." Master's thesis, Faculty of Humanities, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31163.
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This thesis examines the patterning of literacy practices of clerks in the South African Police Services (SAPS) and how power relations are perpetuated through institutional structures and associated divisions of workplace tasks, within a workplace like SAPS. An ethnographic-style case study approach was used to examine the literacy practices of three clerks at three different SAPS sites. The data collected included participant observations, interviews, analysis of texts and photographs of documents. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis and discourse analysis. The qualitative data analysis indicated fragmentation of literacy tasks into “bits and pieces” reflecting the “old” capitalism of the traditional workplace. The fragmentation of the clerks’ literacy tasks also resonated with the decontextualized, skillsbased approach of literacy and language curricula and pedagogies that still dominate formal education and literacy learning. Furthermore, it would appear as if the literacy tasks were used as mechanisms to regiment workers since the paper trail served as a means of accountability for compliancy. The problem was compounded by the disjuncture between what is prescribed by SAPS language policy and what was happening in practice, namely, that English is the only “working language” used by SAPS in all official documents despite its claim to facilitate “functional multilingualism” (in Government Gazette, 8 March 2016). Thus, the study concludes that SAPS work-based literacy practices, like the literacy and language practices of the schooling system, are not conducive to producing students and workers who could apply critical and holistic thinking to make sense of disparate literacy tasks. Hence, the patterning of the literacy practices within the workplace serves to perpetuate institutionalized power in a context where needs for compliancy and accountability are high. The study points to the importance of the development of a language and literacy curriculum in the training of members of SAPS that is a hybridization of principles of the skills based and social practices approaches, especially where critical literacy skills still have to be honed. It argues that enabling workers to fulfil tasks with a more holistic understanding of the nature of their work could improve their efficiency, effectiveness and work satisfaction. Clarity, and I daresay, the political will, around the implementation of the prescribed “additive multilingualism” would go a long way to challenging the hegemony of English in powerful institutions of the state.
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Rönnlöf, Hanna. "Language practices in the workplace : Ethnographic insights from two multilingual companies in Sweden." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Engelska institutionen, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-105971.
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Today’s globalised world calls for a multilingual workplace, with employees who can communicate effectively and efficiently with colleagues and clients around the world. Communication, both in the sense of actual language use and of language management, is an important but often forgotten part of productivity and performance in multinational corporations. This exploratory study aims to investigate how language is used and managed in two Swedish companies with English as at least one of the official languages. By using in-depth ethnographical interviews and a short analysis of the companies’ language policies from the view of centricity, present study is focused on the employees’ perceptions of the day-to-day language use and the company’s language management. It can be concluded that English is the main language used for written communication while both Swedish and English are used in spoken interactions. Language is negotiated through a set of variables and is thus determined by the people involved in the interaction, the function of the interaction and the medium of communication. Although some strains and difficulties did emerge in the interviews, both informants are positive towards the use of English. It is hoped that this small study will contribute to a better understanding of language use and language management in multinational companies in Sweden.
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Abrahams, M. F. "The beehive of organisational excellence : entrenching workplace practices that lead to high performance." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53088.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For the past two decades or so we have been witnessing the dawn of the information age. The technological revolution that typifies this era is proceeding at a rate unparalleled by the advances of previous eras. This technological advancement has spawned what is called the New Economy, where the currency is information and the watchword is speed. The New Economy is global, knowledge-driven, and highly competitive. It has forever changed the competitive landscapes of many industries, combined others into new industries, and has even created entirely new industries. The New Economy poses many new challenges for organisations that strive for excellence. Amongst other things, globalisation and rapid advances in technology are constantly raising performance level benchmarks on all fronts. This means that organisations striving for excellence have to be stable yet agile, lean, responsive, innovative, efficient, customer-focused, and profitable. In addition, the pressure on organisations to democratise the workplace brings its own challenges. One such approach for organising for excellence is the Beehive model where minimum levels of performance have to be attained in each of seven interdependent areas: strategy, structures, people capacity, business disciplines, stakeholder commitment, pay and incentives, and change leadership. Taken out of context, these practices will not produce the desired improvements in performance. They need to be treated as a system where the practices fit with and support each other.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vir ongeveer die afgelope twee dekades ervaar ons die aanbreek van die informasie tydperk. Die tegnologiese revolusie, wat 'n kenmerk is van hierdie era, gaan voort met 'n tempo ongeewenaard met die vooruitgang van vorige eras. Hierdie tegnologiese vooruitgang het voortgebring wat die Nuwe Ekonomie genoem word, waar die geldeenheid informasie en die wagwoord spoed is. Die Nuwe Ekonomie is wereldwyd, kennis aangedrewe, en hoogs kompeterend. Dit het die kompeterende landskappe van baie industriee vir ewig verander, ander in nuwe industriee kombineer en selfs geheel en al nuwe industriee geskep. Die Nuwe Ekonomie lewer vele nuwe uitdagings op vir organisasies wat na uitmuntenheid streef. Om maar een te noem veroorsaak globalisasie en vinnige vooruitgang in tegnologie 'n konstante styging in prestasie vlak hoogtemerke reg deur die industrie. Dit beteken dat organisasies wat na uitmuntenheid streef stabiel, tog ook behendig, reagerend, vernuwend, effektief, klient gefokus en winsgewend moet wees. Daarmee saam bring die druk op organisasies om by die werkplek te demokratiseer sy eie uitdagings. Een so benadering vir organisering vir uitmuntendheid is die Beehive model waar minimum vlakke van prestasie in elke sewe interafhanklike areas behaal moet word: strategie, strukture, menslike kapasiteit, besigheids dissipline, insethouer toegewydheid, betaling en prestasielone, en oorgangsleiding. Uit konteks sal hierdie praktyke nie die gewensde verbeterings in prestasie behaal nie. Dit moet as 'n sisteem behandel word waar die praktyke mekaar pas en ondersteun.
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Baskaran, Laksana, and Emelie Jin. "From Conversation to Action : Perceptions and Practices of Allyship in aSwedish Workplace Context." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för industriell teknik och management (ITM), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-296342.
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Motivated by laws and regulations, moral grounds or the potential business advantages a more diverse workforce might bring, Diversity Management has become an ubiquitous part of organizational practices. Still, minorities are regularly exposed to social and structural discrimination at their workplaces. Allyship mayplay a vital role in changing this. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how allyship is perceived and practiced in a Swedish organization whose members have undergone training in allyship. In short, workplace allyship is the support and advocacy for the inclusion, belonging and career development of a socially disadvantaged or marginalized group. While more and more companies are including allyship into their Diversity Management practices, organizational research is yet to catch up. In addition, there is a very limited body of literature, independent of research field, which surveys allyship outside an American or native English-speaking context. Thus, claims that allyship is cross-cultural are so far founded in theory rather than empirical evidence. Constructed from a single case study of a Swedish subsidiary of an American company, this thesis presents an empirical model of the perceptions and practices of workplace allyship encompassing its motivators and demotivators, resulting behaviours, and challenges concerning its implementation. The model is based on interviews with both non-managers and managers but focuses its attention on disadvantaged group members and managers - two important perspectives that hitherto have received very limited attention in allyship research. The findings suggest that the way allyship is perceived and practiced is directly affected by both organizational enablers and barriers and the context of allyship. It is found that local endeavours must be made to contextualize centralized initiatives to a larger extent. In particular, educational efforts need to be more explicit about both the essence of and interrelation between allyship and systemic discrimination, since such connotations seem to be lost in translation when brought outside its original American historical, cultural and social context. If these are not made clear, there might be a risk that what is perceived as allyship helps preserve the very inequitable systems it conceptually is intended to disrupt. This insight motivates further research on the actual effects of workplace allyship.Mångfaldsarbete (eng: diversity management) har tagit allt större plats i organisatoriska sammanhang och dess metoder. Arbetet har varit motiverat av lagar och förordningar, moraliska anledningar eller för att en diversifierad arbetsstyrka har potentialen att medföra stor affärsnytta. Trots denna satsning utsätts minoriteter för social och strukturell diskriminering på sina arbetsplatser. Allierade (eng: allies) kan ha en framträdande roll för förändra detta. Det huvudsakliga syftet med denna rapport är att utforska hur ‘allyship’ uppfattas och utövas på en svensk organisation, där dess anställda har fått genomgå en utbildning om ‘allyship’. ‘Allyship’ kan kort definieras som förespråkandet av både den sociala- och karriärsrelaterade inkluderingen av en social missgynnad eller marginaliserad grupp. Samtidigt som allt fler företag och organisationer arbetar med just ‘allyship’ så har inte forskningen inom organisationsteorier kommit ikapp. Det är väldigt begränsat med litteratur kring detta ämne som grundar sig utanför USA, eller ett huvudsakligen engelsktalande land. Det påstående som återfinns inom forskningslitteraturen, att ‘allyship’ är tvärkulturellt är därmed främst baserat på teori med få empiriska bevisningar. Utifrån en fallstudie på ett svenskt filial av ett amerikanskt bolag, presenterar denna uppsats en empirisk modell för ‘allyship’ på arbetsplatsen (eng: workplace allyship). Modellen innefattar faktorer som motiverar respektive avskräcker, resulterande insatser och de utmaningar som uppstår när ‘allyship’ ska implementeras. Denna modell är baserad på genomförda intervjuer med både chefer och anställda. Fokuset har lagts på missgynnade gruppmedlemmar (eng: disadvantaged group members) och chefer. Detta är då dessa perspektiv har hittills fått begränsad plats i forskningen om ‘allyship’. Resultaten talar för att sättet ‘allyship’ uppfattas och utövas på beror starkt av organisatoriska möjliggörare och barriärer, samt den kontexten som finns. Detta innebär att det krävs lokala ansträngningar på filialen för att kontextualisera centraliserade initiativ i större utsträckning. Särskilt viktigt är det att utbildningarna och liknande insatser om ‘allyship’ blir tydligare eftersom dess innebörd förefaller sig försvinna när konceptet tas ur det amerikanska sammanhang det härstammar ifrån. Om betydelsen inte klargörs finns det en risk att uppfattningen om ‘allyship’ bidrar till att bibehålla den systematiska diskrimineringen konceptet finns till för att bekämpa. Denna insikt ligger som grund till vidare forskning om ‘allyship’ på arbetsplatsen.
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Ahmad, Mansoor. "The diffusion of high performance workplace practices in Pakistan and their performance associations." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-diffusion-of-high-performance-workplace-practices-in-pakistan-and-their-performance-associations(411a7328-5b9b-4b83-a96c-ed2b08017c7c).html.
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The topic of high performance workplace practices and their impact on organizational performance has been extensively researched in US and UK. Increasingly evidence with regard to diffusion of high performance workplace practices is emerging from fast developing Asian economies. However, very little is known about the state of diffusion of high performance workplace practices in Pakistan, a South Asian economy on route to industrialization. This study attempts to explore the diffusion of high performance workplace practices among the multinational and local firms in the important industrial sectors of banking, information technology and pharmaceutical in Pakistan that are characterized by high level of inward foreign direct investment. Recently the Pakistani Government has passed laws to encourage greater use of HPWS practices amongst domestic firms. This study compares the prevalence of HPWS practices in domestic firms to that in multinationals. MNCs are chosen as a competitor because they have been seen as being at forefront of HPWS use. First of all, the study explored an overall diffusion of high performance workplace practices in Pakistan and determined the state of differences with regard to diffusion of the practices between the establishments of multinational and local firms. Secondly, the study further explored the differences by taking into account the role of control variables such as age, size, percentage of non-managerial employees and nature of business at the establishment. The most important argument underpinning the high performance paradigm is that practices have substantial impact on human resource and performance outcomes of a firm. Thus the third objective of the study was to test and report the association of individual practices with various performance outcomes for a sample of local firms in Pakistan. The study observed whether such claims are valid for the local Pakistani establishments that implement such practices in hope of achieving better performance outcomes. The study found that a number of practices had a consistent and significant association with various performance outcomes across the industrial sectors in Pakistan. The results of the study suggest that latest innovations in human resource management in advanced industrial economies have fast spread among establishments in Pakistan. Moreover the results also suggest that arguments of high performance theory, in particular the universalistic/ best practice model hold ground when it comes to the diffusion of such practices in developing economies such as Pakistan with some caveats.
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Lo, Yuan-Yin. "Creating a Sustainable Campus through Digitalization : Exploring Workplace Practices to Increase Employee Engagement." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-249717.
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There is a rapidly increasing need for companies to work sustainably. A key driver to decrease environmental impact is to raise sustainability awareness among employees. One way to increase sustainability awareness among employees may be through the use of digital tools. This study aims to explore different ways digital tools may increase environmental awareness among employees at Ericsson’s headquarters in Kista, Sweden. Interviews were conducted with experts and a brainstorming session with employees was moderated. The study resulted in a creation of three design concepts for increasing sustainability awareness among employees. The three proposed sustainable initiatives involve using digitalization: to save food waste, to create a green competition among colleagues and to form a community to connect people on Kista campus.Det finns ett ökat behov för företag att arbeta hållbart. En nyckelfaktor för att minska miljöpåverkan är att öka anställdas medvetenhet om hållbarhet. Ett sätt för att öka medvetenhet om hållbarhet kan vara genom nyttjandet av digitala verktyg. Den här studien utforskade olika sätt som digitala verktyg skulle kunna öka anställdas medvetenhet om miljöpåverkan. Studien utfördes med anställda på företaget Ericssons campus i Kista, Sverige. Intervjuer med experter och idégenerering med anställda utfördes. Studien resulterade i tre digitala designkoncept för att öka anställdas medvetenhet om hållbarhet. De tre koncepten nyttjade digitalisering med: minskandet av matavfall, ökandet av engagemang genom en hållbarhetstävling och ett sätt för att skapa gemenskap kring hållbarhet på Kista campus.
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Shin, Hwayeon Helene, and helene shin@abs gov au. "Institutional safe space and shame management in workplace bullying." The Australian National University. Research School of Social Sciences, 2006. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20061114.142503.
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This study addresses the question of how an individuals perception of the
safety of his or her institutional space impacts on shame management
skills. Shame has been widely recognised as a core emotion that can readily
take the form of anger and violence in interpersonal relationships if it is
unresolved. When shame is not acknowledged properly, feelings of shame
build up and lead to shame-rage spirals that break down social bonds
between people. Some might consider the total avoidance of shame
experiences as a way to cut the link between shame and violence. However,
there is a reason why we cannot just discard the experience of shame. Shame
is a self-regulatory emotion (Braithwaite, 1989, 2002; Ahmed et al., 2001).
If one feels shame over wrongdoing, one is less likely to re-offend in the
future. That is to say, shame is a destructive emotion on the one hand in
the way it can destroy our social bonds, but on the other hand, it is a
moral emotion that reflects capacity to regulate each other and ourselves.
This paradoxical nature of shame gives rise to the necessity of managing
shame in a socially adaptive way. A group of scholars in the field of shame
has argued that institutions can be designed in such a way that they create
safe space that allows people to feel shame and manage shame without its
adverse consequences (Ahmed et al., 2001). This means that people would
feel safe to acknowledge shame and accept the consequences of their actions
without fear of stigmatisation or the disruption of social bonds. Without
fear, there would be less likelihood of displacing shame, that is, blaming
others and expressing shame as anger towards others. The context adopted
for empirically examining shame management in this study is workplace
bullying. Bullying has become a dangerous phenomenon in our workplace that
imposes significant costs on employers, employees, their families and
industries as a whole (Einarsen et al., 2003a). Teachers belong to a
professional group that is reputed to be seriously affected by bullying at
work. Teachers from Australia and Korea completed self-report
questionnaires anonymously. Three shame management styles were identified:
shame acknowledgement, shame displacement and (shame) withdrawal. The
likely strengths of these shame management styles were investigated in
terms of three factors postulated as contributions to institutional safe
space: that is, 1) cultural value orientations, 2) the salience of
workgroup identity, and 3) problem resolution practices at work. The
present thesis suggests that further consideration should be given to
institutional interventions that support and maintain institutional safe
space and that encourage shame acknowledgement, while dampening the adverse
effect of defensive shame management. The evidence presented in this thesis
is a first step in demonstrating that institutional safe space and shame
management skills are empirically measurable, are relevant in other
cultural contexts and address issues that are at the heart of the human
condition everywhere........ [For the full Abstract, see the PDF files
below]
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Chown, Adrian Mark. "Academic teachers' workplace learning and its role in the formation of their teaching practices." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2011. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020609/.
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Few studies have examined the character of academic teachers' workplace learning and its role in the formation of their teaching practices. There is also a lack of appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks, or 'analytical perspectives', in the literature. This thesis is based on a small-scale, ethnographic-style case-study of the workplace learning of seven lecturers who comprise the Pharmacy Practice subjectgroup (PPG) in a 'new' university in the UK. During a six month period, qualitative data were gathered through observation of working activities and individual interviews, complemented by document review. The concepts and principles of Engestrom's Activity Theory were used to examine the character of the participants' workplace learning; its motives and its functions in relation to their teaching practices. The case study also evaluated this analytical perspective. Learning was a pervasive constituent of the participants' normal collaborative working activities. It had complex historical, social, cultural and individual dimensions; diverse motives, and its functions included the maintenance; adaptation and radical transformation of teaching practices. A comprehensive, coherent, systematic understanding of these characteristics required the adoption of the work-group as the prime unit of analysis, rather than individual members, and an acknowledgment that learning was a communal process involving various forms of participation. Thus the case study provides further evidence that academic teachers' practices are highly complex, 'situated' and often collectively formed in small-scale work groups, especially disciplinary or specialist-subject groups. These insights indicate that the technical-rational and interpretive-constructive analytical perspectives which are widely adopted to understand academic teachers' work and learning cannot provide an adequate account of their workplace learning or its functions. The thesis provides an alternative perspective, together with detailed insights, examples and findings, which can be used to inform measures intended to improve university teaching and support the professional development of academic teachers.
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Burger, Louis Wicus. "Case study : the success of diversity management practices at Benga mine." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97609.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Managing the diverse production and support teams on mining operations in Southern Africa is proving to be problematic and challenging. Many mines are facing strikes, “go-slows” and destructive conflict related to diversity issues. The objective of this case study was to evaluate the apparent successful diversity management practices employed at Benga Mine (an MCC Group mine) in Mozambique. The study aimed to determine the success of the tactics employed by the management team and whether successful tactics can be utilised at other mines operating within the MCC Group. The case study evaluated seven practical diversity management tactics employed by the management of the mine as conceptual method. The seven tactics were verified through a literature review and an eighth “other” category was provided for additional tactics that the research may reveal. The research revealed that the diversity management tactics at Benga Mine have some strengths and some weaknesses. The management team focused on translation of communication to the primary spoken languages on the mine. This enabled good communication flow, but further improvements can be made. Most employees identify with the Benga Mine and feel a sense of common purpose. The management team identified nutrition as a critical diversity management issue. This was an accurate observation as the research revealed that the availability and quality of food is of fundamental importance to them. Further improvement, such as catering for vegetarians, can be made to the food offerings. Strong relationships exist on the mine and this is the area where the Benga Mine management team excel. Employees feel that issues on importance can be addressed through various communication platforms and that their concerns are being taken seriously. Employees believe that all groups have the opportunity to raise issues and that the management team evaluate their concerns with compassion and care. The sound communication system employed at Benga Mine builds relationships and promotes a culture where employees can engage with management. The management of employment equity policies poses a significant challenge to the mine. The expats manage and pose the bulk of technical and operational expertise, resulting in significant risk to the sustainability of the business since the work permit quota system requires knowledge transfer to Mozambique citizens. Additionally, the work environment is not conducive to gender equality and female employees feel marginalised. An organisational culture conducive to managing and valuing the contribution and presence of all groups has been created at the mine. Further improvement can be made by terminating tokens of separations such as different uniforms for managers and operational employees. No significant new or additional diversity management factors were identified during the research. Benga Mine’s diversity management tactics are effective, but improvements can easily be achieved by focusing on the recommendations of this case study. The recommendations include improvements to translation of management instructions, clarification of employment equity obligations and a higher degree of sensitivity to the needs of female employees.
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Grisanaputi, Wipawee. "Gender Discrimination in the Thai Workplace: a Case Study of Textile Company, Khon Kaen, Thailand." Master's thesis, Virginia Tech, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/46538.
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The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the causes and effects of gender discrimination in the Thai workplace. The research focuses on gender differences related to recruitment, occupational segregation, compensation, pay raises, promotion opportunities, fringe benefits, and personnel policies and practices. Three hundred employees and ten supervisors of "Grarui and So Co., Ltd. participated in the study. Also, personnel policies and regulations were reviewed and evaluated.
The findings showed female workers were more satisfied with fringe benefits and the practices of their supervisors, than were their male counterparts. Moreover, male workers perceived that their female coworkers were treated better by supervisors, especially in regard to compensation, pay raises and promotions. Traditional Thai social value and culture may be at the root of these unexpected findingsMaster of Urban and Regional Planning
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Omphornuwat, Kosum. "In pursuit of looking good : Thai women office workers and everyday consumption practices at work." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6276.
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Drawing upon my eleven-month ethnographic fieldwork in two business organisations in Bangkok, Thailand, this thesis explores Thai women office workers consumption of makeup and clothes at work. What emerges from this thesis is that a claim to beauty as a reason for which women are engaged in the consumption of makeup and clothes is not always valid. Grounded in theoretical discussions and empirical findings, I argue that the women s consumption of makeup and clothes is not always in the pursuit of beauty, but rather the pursuit of looking good. While beauty is perceived as an innate quality of the body, looking good entails the materialisation of the outer body through consumption practices in an attempt to achieve an ideal look. I introduce a concept of looking good practices. Looking good practices demonstrate the ways in which women office workers exert agency in mobilising their outer bodies to achieve an appropriate appearance at work. I argue that looking good practices entail a process of social learning. The women office workers learn to look good through the process by which they look at other women, participate in the practices shared amongst themselves, negotiate the meanings of appropriateness and reify such meanings through their consumption of makeup and clothes. By sharing meanings and practices, the women office workers inevitably participate in looking good practices, which, I argue, are social practices. My research also demonstrates how, through their engagement in the consumption of makeup and clothes, the women office workers aestheticise their bodies to be situated in the aesthetic workplace.
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Tam, Kwong Yin. "Connecting workplace learning practices and organisational life cycle: a case study of Hong Kong SMEs." Thesis, University of Surrey, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.580332.
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The practice of workplace learning is important for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to stay competitive in the face of today's environmental pressures from globalisation, competition, technological advancement and the knowledge economy. However, firm characteristics such as limited internal resources and capabilities are factors that affect how they practise workplace learning at any given point in time. According to organisational life cycle (OLC) theory, during the firm's growth from inception, to high-growth, to maturity, the internal resources and capabilities of the firm develop. The literature has discussed workplace learning and the organisational life cycle separately, and little is known about how they are related. This study attempts to connect the workplace learning practices in SMEs and the organisational life cycle to understand how they practice workplace learning at different life-cycle stages. The research reports on a case study of30 Hong Kong SMEs at different life-cycle stages (11 at inception, 10 at high-growth and 9 at maturity). Two consecutive phases of data collection are involved. Phase I identifies the life-cycle stage of the firm through theoretical sampling with an OLC questionnaire. Phase II adopts a mixed methods design to explore the workplace learning practices (categorised by learning levels) in those SMEs at each life-cycle stage through the online Learning Practices Questionnaire (LPQ), as well as semi-structured interviews with 4 SMEs identified at each stage through snowball sampling with data gathered until data saturation was reached. Both quantitative and qualitative results lend support to each other. Results of this study show that the levels of workplace learning practised by SMEs are varied in importance between life-cycle stages (except inter-organisational learning which is common to all stages). Four major findings emerge: (1) The individual level of workplace learning is important at all life-cycle stages but most important at inception. (2) The group level of workplace learning is more important at high-growth than it is at maturity. (3) The organisational level of work place learning is more important at high-growth and maturity than it is at inception. (4) The inter-organisational level of work place learning is high at all life-cycle stages and there is no significant difference between stages. To conclude, this study has established a connection between the workplace learning practices in SMEs and the organisational life cycle, providing owner/managers with a better understanding of how the firm's development relates to their workplace learning strategies.
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Petrescu, Alina. "The impact of workplace human resource management practices on company and employee performance in Britain." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.524767.
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McCall, Marla Kyo Yamato. "Advanced Practice Nurses' Self-Efficacy to Treat Intimate Partner Violence as Related to Professional, Workplace and Personal Factors." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/344226.
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Purposes/Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the professional, workplace and personal factors that significantly relate to advanced practice nurses' (APNs) self-efficacy to treat intimate partner violence (IPV).Rationale/Conceptual Basis/Background: IPV affects one in three women in the U.S. and is the leading cause of maternal death during the prenatal and first year post-partum periods. Older women victims suffer earlier death from all causes. IPV is under diagnosed and undertreated based on large surveys of emergency departments and outpatient clinics. APNs are providing health care to large numbers of potential victims, thus they are important as diagnosticians and treating clinicians. Methods: A national quantitative survey of APNs was performed with the aim of obtaining APNs from diverse specialties, geographic areas, and demographics within the U.S. Participants completed an electronic survey using modifications of standardized questionnaires on professional factors of hours of previous IPV education, IPV knowledge, years in practice, current practices, role belief, and self-efficacy to treat IPV. A new scale was developed to test workplace factors of screening tools and protocols, institutional, and community supports. Personal factors of age, gender, past IPV experience, vicarious trauma (VT), resilience, and general self-efficacy were tested using previously validated tools. Results: A sample of 494 APNs was obtained. Respondents were demographically representative of U.S. practicing APN population. Findings from this study indicate that APNs' current self-reported practice behaviors regarding IPV, total hours of IPV education, age in years, role belief, resilience, absence of VT and IPV knowledge are the most significant contributors to APNs' self-efficacy to treat IPV. Implications: APNs with strong clinical experience with IPV, more hours of IPV education, older age, belief that it is their role to treat IPV, and greater IPV knowledge, reported the best self-efficacy to treat IPV. Educational institutions should provide more formal and ongoing education in IPV. VT in APNs who treat IPV should be further explored. Health care organizations should provide continuing IPV education and provide work environments that promote the treatment of IPV for APNs to effectively identify and engage in treatment those patients who may be victims.
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Chola, Zolani. "Diversity management practices at Lovedale College." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021163.
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The global working environment has altered dramatically over the last decade and in particular, the workforce has begun to consist of many diverse individuals. The world has become a global marketplace, with boundaries between countries becoming increasingly vague and permeable. Advances in technology and the advent of a global economy have brought people from different countries closer together. Globalisation has precipitated many challenges in modern organisations, and one of these challenges is workforce diversity. Workforces in organisations differ in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Globally, countries are faced with the spiralling challenge of skills shortages and there is an expanding competition for skilled workers, specifically for those who possess scarce skills. This leads to an expatriation of skills, creating a natural increase in workforce diversity that expands beyond local ethnicity and language. This affects all organisations, including academic institutions such as universities, universities of technology and public further education and training colleges. Given this challenge organisations, educational institutions and other entities are investigating ways to better deal or serve their constituents. Lovedale PFET College is a public further education and training college that provides skills to young South Africans, specifically vocational related skills. The main research problem of this study was to identify the recommended diversity management best practices that characterise effective organisations and determine the extent to which these practices are applied at Lovedale PFET College. In order to address the problem, a theoretical study was conducted which focused on identifying the recommended diversity management best practices. In addition, interviews were conducted with managers at Lovedale College to gain an understanding of their perspective on diversity management. Based on the combined main points gleaned from theory and the interviews, a questionnaire was developed and administered to both academic and support staff at Lovedale PFET College to obtain their perceptions of the diversity practices and outcomes at the college. The results of the survey revealed that Lovedale PFET College could improve on the implementation of best practices in diversity management. Specifically, attention could be given to diversity education and training, and diversity management policies and procedures.
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Foedisch, Melanie. "Managing translation projects : practices and quality in production networks." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2018. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/managing-translation-projects-practices-and-quality-in-production-networks(b6de2976-ab87-434c-8c36-0e09efbf2de0).html.
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Over the past two decades, translation workplaces have been substantially transformed by technological developments (Drugan 2013; Risku et al. 2013), and by the emergence of production networks in which a language service provider (LSP) acts as an intermediary between translator and client (Abdallah and Koskinen 2007; Abdallah 2012). However, there is little research into how technologies are integrated in the various translation workplaces found in production networks. My research aims at enhancing our understanding of translation project management and translation quality in production networks by conceptualising project management as a practice (Shove et al. 2012). For this empirical study, a data set was collected based on 60 hours of workplace observations within a UK-based LSP and 10 semi-structured interviews with four project managers (PMs) and one vendor manager (VM). Drawing on concepts from practice theory, the study analyses routinised enactments of the practice by PMs, their integration of information technologies into such enactments, their understanding of translation quality, and their strategies to achieve quality in the translation production process. I propose that the practice of translation project management is deeply embedded into a larger complex of interdependent translation production practices. A practice-theoretical framework emphasises the socio-material and collective nature of the practice. My study demonstrates that project management is a joint effort between PMs and other actors in translation production. Based on an analysis of how PMs use CAT tools and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system when they are managing translation projects, I argue that technologies are inextricably linked with enactments of production practices, and that they form part of the social structures surrounding the practice. The application of practice theory affords a new understanding of skills, or competence, in which the engagement in professional activities is vital, and in which building competence is an ongoing process. Finally, I suggest that buyers of translation products, i.e. clients, substantially contribute to translation quality, as PMs carry out project management based on the notion of translation as a service.
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Barlow, Thomas R. Linville Malcolm E. "Language, metaphors, and images utilized in describing and communicating workplace motivational practices in the entrepreneurial environment." Diss., UMK access, 2004.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Education and Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2004."A dissertation in education and public affairs and administration." Advisor: Malcolm Linville. Typescript. Vita. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 13, 2007; title from "catalog record" of the print edition. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-166). Online version of the print edition.
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Rangoato, Sello Joshua. "Discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status in the workplace." Thesis, University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1108.
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Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013This mini-dissertation outlines the protection of rights of people living with HIV/AIDS in the workplace. It will highlight the fact that people living with HIV/AIDS can perform the work as long as they medically fit. It will show the need to promote anti discriminatory laws in the workplace. People think that HIV/AIDS can be transmitted through casual contact but that will be shown in the study that HIV/AIDS can not be transmitted by casual contact. The mini-dissertation also outlines the need to educate employees about their rights more particularly those living with HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Therefore policies such as affirmative action must be implemented to affirm several advantages to people living with HIV/AIDS. Equality is what people must enjoy in the country in terms of section 9 of the Constitution including people living with HIV/AIDS.
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Tansuphasiri, Dawarit. "Managers/non-managers' perceived importance and implementation of skills and information workplace practices at IBM Thailand." Adobe Acrobat reader required to view the full dissertation, 1999. http://www.etda.libraries.psu.edu/theses/approved/PSUonlyIndex/ETD-12/index.html.
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Machili, I. "Writing in the workplace : variation in the writing practices and formality of eight multinational companies in Greece." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2014. http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/23424/.
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Workplace writing is a high stakes activity. It constitutes a permanent record of a company’s transactions and this has implications for both the employees involved in the production of documents and also for the company as a whole. Workplace writing is dynamic, and processes and practices vary between teams, departments, companies and industries. In this context, the study is concerned with workplace writing practices in eight multinational companies situated in Greece. The thesis is structured in two parts: the first part aims to explore the writing practices in the participant organisations focusing on factors behind inter- and intra- company variation. The discussion draws on the analysis of questionnaire and interview data. The second part takes a micro perspective and focuses on one genre, that of the business email. The analysis reports on a sample of naturally occurring emails from three participant companies. As the business email tends to be perceived as an informal genre, special attention is paid to the notion of formality, which has not been systematically discussed and defined in this context. The findings show that writing practices vary according to company size, employees’ hierarchical level and years of experience. Business email emerges as the most frequent genre, which serves a range of functions in different contexts. Dynamic continua of writing practices ranging from ‘formal to informal’ and ‘transactional to relational’ are mobilised as employees reflect on their use of email at work and this is aligned with the findings of the linguistic analysis. The data also indicate the impact of the globalised socioeconomic activity on employees’ practices in modern organisations. The participants in this study operate at the interface of different languages and practices, which cut across national and professional boundaries. The complex choices they make in different contexts have implications for language training and specifically the teaching of writing in academic contexts.
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Naccarato, Alexa. "Data Literacy: How Developing Best Practices for Higher Education in Communications Will Drive Innovation in Tomorrow's Workplace." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/42733.
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Data literacy has become one of the most important competencies for a citizen to exercise in their personal and professional lives. It contributes to more informed decision-making in all aspects of life, and is more frequently being utilized in organizations to drive innovation and change. These skills are especially important for communications professionals, as interpreting and communicating data to various publics is the foundation of information sharing in virtually every industry and sector. Data competencies are typically acquired in post-secondary education; however, existing curricula are lacking robustness, adaptability, and transferability of skills needed in the workplace and in our ever-changing world. Through the results collected from both professors and practitioners in the communications field, this study identifies the gaps in existing curricula, and justifies the importance of communications students acquiring data literacy skills to ensure that they will be equipped for their careers and the world at large. This research highlights that improving data and research skills will better prepare citizens for their professional and personal lives.
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Maneewat, Khomapak. "Nursing Care Practices and Workplace Relations in a Thai Surgical Ward: An Exploration of Clinical Decision-Making." Thesis, Griffith University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367549.
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This thesis offers a study of how a local ward culture underpins nursing actions of Thai surgical nurses in order to account for issues such as lack of sustainability, and failure to use research, including evidence-based nursing practice and the new multimodal model of care which has been officially adopted in the Thai hospital context. The study was conducted at a Thai surgical ward to illuminate and describe the culture of the Thai surgical nurse, including the ways in which the organizational culture influences or guides their thinking, decision-making, and actions in a patterned way. The knowledge about how the Thai surgical nurses allocate care, and make clinical decisions in the surgical ward in the context of social relations and staff culture is constructed through an ethnographic approach based on fieldwork at the non-private general surgical wards of one university hospital in Southern Thailand. A better understanding of the diversity of Thai surgical nursing practice is then enacted from a typical day in the life of the Thai surgical nurses, which consists of the realities, ritualised practices, relations, and integration both with within their group and with others.
The study results represent the way that nursing organizational culture informs the practices, decision-making, and the predictions of the nurses’ possible response to change. The pre- and post-operative cares allocated by the nurses of the TSW are routinised, almost ritualised, and reflect fixed assumptions about the way cares ought to be delivered, including those reflecting the lack of commitment to implementing new multimodal models of care as well as research utilization and evidence-based practice. The study raises significant concerns about the status of professional nursing
in Thailand in terms of professional autonomy and the status of the nurses within the Thai hospital context. Empowering professional nursing is therefore recommended as a first priority to change Thai nursing culture. The ritualised practices, task-oriented working system, and the dominance of the medical model in the Thai nursing culture further reflect the need to establish an evidence-based nursing culture to create professional identity and improve the quality of care.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Nursing and Midwivery
Griffith Health
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Bonine, Brent A. "Democratic Organizing in the Corporate Sphere: A Case Study." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1357664971.
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Lengyelová, Andrea. "Associates or zamestnanci? Language choice, attitudes and code-switching practices: The case of workplace email communication in Slovakia." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Politècnica de València, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/124352.
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[ES] El cambio de co'digo esta' sujeto a una gran variedad de factores que dependen del medio de comunicacio'n y de la situacio'n comunicativa. En general, segu'n la lingu¿i'stica, el cambio de co'digo ocurre cuando un hablante alterna entre dos o ma's lenguas o variedades de una lengua en una misma conversacio'n. Estas pra'cticas comunicativas se han tratado en muchos contextos, lenguas y contacto entre culturas. Sin embargo, no hay estudios sobre el tema en el contexto eslovaco, de ahi' la relevancia del trabajo recogido en esta tesis doctoral que tiene como fin u'ltimo paliar esta escasez de estudios lingu¿i'sticos. En concreto, aqui' analizamos el cambio de co'digo exclusivamente en comunicaciones realizadas por correo electro'nico en un entorno laboral multilingu¿e y multicultural. El estudio se centra en la eleccio'n de lengua, las actitudes hacia una lengua y la mezcla de lenguas en las comunicaciones entre los compan¿eros de trabajo de una multinacional hotelera radicada en Eslovaquia. El ana'lisis examina u'nicamente los correos escritos en eslovaco que presentan cambios de co'digo al ingle's.
Debido a la naturaleza multidisciplinar de este proyecto de investigacio'n, asi' como a su cara'cter dual, es decir, el examen de las actitudes hacia una lengua por una parte y las pra'cticas de cambio de co'digo por otra, esta tesis plantea varias preguntas de investigacio'n y tiene una serie de objetivos que pasamos a detallar. El objetivo principal del estudio cuantitativo basado en el cuestionario disen¿ado es examinar hasta que' punto los encuestados son conscientes de los cambios de co'digo al ingle's durante sus comunicaciones, en particular durante sus conversaciones electro'nicas, y determinar las razones por las que se lleva a cabo este cambio de co'digo, sacando a la luz las actitudes hacia este feno'meno lingu¿i'stico. Adema's, dado que los conocimientos que aportan los cuestionarios son generalmente limitados, se ha llevado a cabo un ana'lisis del discurso para observar ma's detalladamente el alcance de los cambios de lengua, los tipos y las funciones que presentan. La metodologi'a empleada, que sigue el me'todo mixto de investigacio'n, se utiliza para analizar las motivaciones y las razones por las que nuestros participantes prefieren usar el ingle's en lugar de su lengua nativa. Asi' pues, esta tesis doctoral recoge el primer ana'lisis completo de este tipo sobre el cambio de co'digo eslovaco/ingle's en la comunicacio'n electro'nica que examina conversaciones aute'nticas por Internet dentro de una corporacio'n.
Palabras clave: cambio de co'digo, comunicacio'n electro'nica, correo electro'nico, comunicacio'n en entornos laborales, actitudes hacia la lengua[CAT] El canvi de codi esta¿ subjecte a una gran varietat de factors que depenen del mitja¿ de comunicacio' i de la situacio' comunicativa. En general, segons la lingu¿i'stica, el canvi de codi ocorre quan un parlant alterna entre dues o me's llengu¿es o varietats d'una llengua en una mateixa conversa. Aquestes pra¿ctiques comunicatives han estat tractades en molts contexts, llengu¿es i contacte entre cultures. No obstant aixo¿, no hi ha estudis sobre el tema en el context eslovac, d'aqui' la relleva¿ncia del treball recollit en aquesta tesi doctoral que te' com a finalitat u'ltima pal.liar l'escassetat d'estudis lingu¿i'stics sobre el tema. En concret, aci' analitzem el canvi de codi exclusivament en comunicacions realitzades per correu electro¿nic en un entorn laboral multilingu¿e i multicultural. L'estudi se centra en l'eleccio' de llengua, les actituds cap a una llengua i la mescla de llengu¿es en les comunicacions entre els companys de treball d'una multinacional hotelera radicada a Eslova¿quia. L'ana¿lisi examina u'nicament els correus escrits en eslovac que presenten canvis de codi a l'angle's. A causa de la naturalesa multidisciplina¿ria d'aquest projecte d'investigacio', aixi' com al seu cara¿cter dual, e's a dir, l'examen de les actituds cap a una llengua per una part i les pra¿ctiques de canvi de codi per altra, aquesta tesi planteja diverses preguntes d'investigacio' i te' una se¿rie d'objectius que detallarem a continuacio'. L'objectiu principal de l'estudi quantitatiu basat en el qu¿estionari dissenyat e's examinar fins a quin punt les persones enquestades so'n conscients del canvi de codi a l'angle's durant les seues comunicacions, en particular durant les seues converses electro¿niques, i determinar les raons per les quals es duu a terme aquest canvi de codi, traient a la llum les actituds cap a aquest fenomen lingu¿i'stic. A me's, ate's que els coneixements que aporten els qu¿estionaris so'n generalment limitats, s'ha realitzat una ana¿lisi del discurs per a observar me's detalladament l'abast dels canvis de llengua, els tipus i les funcions que representen. La metodologia emprada, que segueix el me¿tode mixt d'investigacio', s'utilitza per a analitzar les motivacions i les raons per les quals els nostres participants prefereixen fer u's de l'angle's en comptes de la seua llengua nativa. Per tant, aquesta tesi doctoral recull la primera ana¿lisi completa d'aquest tipus sobre el canvi de codi eslovac/angle's en la comunicacio' electro¿nica que examina converses aute¿ntiques per Internet dins d'una corporacio'. Paraules clau: canvi de codi, comunicacio' electro¿nica, correu electro¿nic, comunicacio' en entorns laborals, actituds cap a la llengua.
[EN] Code-switching (CS) is subject to the wide range of interrelations between medium and situation factors. Generally, from a linguistic point of view, CS occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the course of a single conversation. The practice has been noticed all around the world in many contexts, language and culture contact situations. Hence, based on earlier studies of CS phenomenon, but shifting towards a more specific environment, the workplace, the present study aims to fill a considerable gap in scholarly knowledge about the online/ written CS practices of Slovak native speakers in the context of workplace email communication. Therefore, the study focuses on language choice, language attitudes and CS practices among colleagues in a multilingual workplace environment of a multinational hospitality company in Slovakia, focusing solely on the participants' workplace interactions, in particular their email messages written in Slovak (the national language) with switches to English. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this research project, as well as its dual focus on language attitudes on the one hand and actual CS practices on the other, this thesis addresses a number of research questions and provides a series of analyses centring around the following objectives. The main focus of the quantitative, questionnaire- based study is to examine the participants' metalinguistic awareness of the extent of switching to English during their communication (particularly focusing on their CMC interactions) and to determine their reasons for doing so, while uncovering the attitudes they hold towards this phenomenon. Furthermore, as the depth of knowledge obtained through questionnaire survey is limited, the corpus analysis of email interactions is conducted in order to investigate more closely the extent of switching and the types, forms and functions of CS involved. Employing a mixed method approach in the process, motivations and reasons why our participants choose English over their native language are examined. Hence, the study represents the first comprehensive analysis of its kind on Slovak-English CS in CMC using authentic naturally-occurring computer-mediated corporate interactions. Keywords: code-switching, CMC, email, workplace communication, attitudes
The traineeship was partly funded by Erasmus+ grant, for which I am grateful.
Lengyelová, A. (2019). Associates or zamestnanci? Language choice, attitudes and code-switching practices: The case of workplace email communication in Slovakia [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/124352
TESIS
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Angotta, Jill E. "The Social Integration of Employees with Disabilities in the Workplace| An Explanatory Case Study of Supervisors' Current Practices." Thesis, University of Bridgeport, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3571022.
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This study is an exploratory case study on supervisors' and front line managers' current practices towards the promotion of the socialization of employees with disabilities with their non-disabled peers. The researcher interviewed eight participants, four men and four women, purposefully selected from Connecticut and Indiana in person or over the phone. Various supporting secondary data documents were located by the researcher on the internet to further explain the work place's role in the promotion of socialization of employees with disabilities with their coworkers. Utilizing the Social Identity (Turner, 1975) and Social Categorization (Tajfel, 1970) theories to further explain the phenomenon of social integration of employees with disabilities as it relates to the under employment of Americans with disabilities when compared to their non-disabled counterparts, the researcher hopes to answers the following research questions: How are supervisors and front line managers in various work place arenas currently promoting social integration of employees with disabilities with their non-disabled coworkers? How are supervisors and front line managers in various work place arenas currently utilizing work place accommodations, when requested, to promote the social integration of employees with disabilities with their non-disabled peers? Once socially integrated, are supervisors and front line managers in various workplace arenas able to retain employees with disabilities for the long term?
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Anagnostopoulos, Achilleas. "Labour market regulation in Greece : assessing impacts of human resources management practices and outcomes using a workplace survey." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2011. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1744/.
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My thesis contributes to research on the consequences of labour market institutions for employment using an original Greek dataset I have constructed, the TERS. This survey gives a representative sample of micro-enterprises as well as small and medium enterprises. I investigate whether firms use temporary (and family) employment as "escape" routes from mandated wage floors (corporate collective wage agreements) and working conditions floors (employment protection legislation (EPL) monitored by the Labour Inspectorate). My basic hypothesis is thus that temporary and family work are forms of insurance for the poorer firms which cannot cope with EPL coupled with wage floors. I find significant wage floor effects, in particular, where firms have many workers at the minimum (or below it - in the case of "grey" market firms), they are more likely to employ temporary workers. The implication is that where firms have many workers on the minimum they are likely to worry about the possibility of a rise in the minimum, and hence will employ on a more temporary basis. Wage floors thus matter. I also find significant EPL effects. In particular, firms whose managers believe that temps have low EPL are more likely to employ temps, ceteris paribus. My result thus shows that an advantage of employing temps is quite simply their low EPL. My findings for family worker employment are similarly confirmatory. Workplaces in the "grey" category, paying low wages probably below nationally agreed rates, are much more likely to employ a high percentage of family workers, other things equal-they are easy to layoff, and less likely to complain about low wages. The policy implication of my research is therefore that Greece's wages and working conditions floors indeed appear both to promote precarious temporary employment, and also small-scale family business, which is not the way to grow and prosper.
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Rasheed, Tajudeen Olusegun. "Safety Practices on Lead Poisoning Among Battery Technicians in Lagos Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4018.
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Maintaining due diligence on safety practices at the workplace of battery technicians is the most cost-effective intervention against lead-related hazards. The safety practice on lead poisoning in Nigeria is below average, and the compliance level is far from the expected target of 90%. Using Dejoy's workplace self-protective behavior theory, this study investigated multilevel factors that influence safety practices on lead poisoning and compared the rate of utilization of personal protective equipment by battery technicians in the organized and roadside settings. The study was a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, and a multistage and systematic sampling technique was used to select 293 adult battery technicians aged 18 years and above. Hypotheses were tested with chi-square and multivariate logistic regressions at the significant level of p < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. The outcome of the safety practice status of battery technicians is 20%, and the rate of utilization of personal protective equipment is 18% in Lagos, Nigeria. Findings revealed that workplace conditions, blood lead levels, knowledge, education, and the rate of utilization of personal protective equipment are predictors of the safety practice status of battery technicians. There was no significant difference between battery technicians in the organized and roadside setting considering the perceived risk of lead poisoning and utilization of personal protective equipment. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations for battery technicians to use the evolved alternative safety approaches to reduce lead-related hazards. Public health professional and policymakers should invest resources towards reducing the impact of lead poisoning on battery technicians at the workplace.
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Müller, Alessa Antonia [Verfasser]. "Towards a better understanding of workplace coaching: On goal activities, exploration practices, and coaches’ life satisfaction / Alessa Antonia Müller." Kassel : Universitätsbibliothek Kassel, 2021. http://d-nb.info/1233379070/34.
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Wyrley-Birch, Bridget Diana. "Professional communication practices of radiotherapists in the workplace and classroom in higher education in the Western Cape, South Africa." Thesis, [S.l. : s.n.], 2008. http://dk.cput.ac.za/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=td_cput.
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Oler, Jennifer S. "The Effect of Religiosity and Spirituality on Work Practices and Trust Levels in Managers and their Subordinates in Food and Nutrition Care Departments." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2004. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/556.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which religiosity and spirituality affected daily work practices and leader/follower trust levels in foodservice and nutrition directors and their subordinates. A similar 72-item survey questionnaire was developed for both the directors and employees, which was completed by 129 directors and 530 employees. Both questionnaires contained questions on demographics, religious influences on work practices, trust characteristics, and three validated measures of religiosity: 1) worship service attendance (1=Religiosity Score), 2) influence of spiritual beliefs on daily life, and 3) frequency of prayer (2 + 3=Spirituality Score). Frequency data was gathered for all questions. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson's Correlation were used to assess the relationship of directors' and employees' Religiosity and Spirituality Scores compared to their daily work practices and trust levels. Two-sample t-tests evaluated differences in directors' and employees' perceived trust levels toward each other. Most directors and employees were women and Caucasian. Most of the directors and employees had earned a Master's degree and bachelor's degree, respectively. The religion most frequently reported was Protestant. Data analysis of the Religiosity and Spirituality Scores and demographics showed some differences in ethnic group, gender, age, and education level, although there was no consistently identified trend. Well over one-third of directors (40.3%) and employees (36.3%) attended worship services at least four times the previous month. The more directors and employees attended worship services, the more likely they were to demonstrate specific spiritual actions and attitudes at work. Generally, religiosity and spirituality did not appear to influence perceived trustworthiness in directors and employees. However, both directors and employees were rated as being highly trustworthy by their counterpart(s). Directors and employees tend to over-rate their own trustworthiness when compared to ratings by the opposite discipline. Degree of religiosity and spirituality did not consistently affect the way directors and employees rated each others' trustworthiness though it was related to how they perceived their own trustworthiness. Directors expected that their employees were more committed to their jobs than they actually were.
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Rwamamara, Romuald A. "The healthy construction workplace : best practices in the Swedish construction industry to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers /." Luleå : Luleå University of Technology, 2005. http://epubl.ltu.se/1402-1757/2005/39/index.html.
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Ismail, Noorhasyimah. "Implementation of the work-family balance practices (WFBPS) in the Malaysian oil and gas workplace : experiences amongst managers and executives." Thesis, Brunel University, 2018. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/17035.
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Work-family balance practices (WFBPs) in the workplace have caused growing interest amongst employees and employers in developing countries like Malaysia. Previous research has shown that the application of work-family balance interface (e.g. work-family integration) in the workplace has an impact on the role of manager, particularly at the micro level analysis. The study has four objectives, which are: (1) To explore how managers and executives in the O& G sector perceive the notion of WFBPs; (2) To identify the type of WFBPs introduced in the Malaysian O&G companies; (3) To compare the WFBPs in both government-owned and privatelyowned O&G companies; and (4) To evaluate the role of a manager in implementing WFBPs in O&G companies. A qualitative method was employed in this study by using a face-to-face, semi-structured interview approach. The interview approach was used to explore the concept and dimensions of the understanding of WFBPs, as this is the appropriate approach to gain a viewpoint from an individual perspective. The empirical result of the investigation has recognised the significant themes of the implementation of WFBPs on the O&G employees' work-life balance. Firstly, it provided the WFBPs' notions of the integration, separation and integration-separation concept between work and family lives to the O&G workforces. Secondly, the study identified and examined the utility of the WFBPs that enables the comparison of formal and informal WFBPs for both government-owned and privately-owned O&G companies. Thirdly, the study evaluated the role of the manager in undertaking the WFBPs and factors that motivate the O&G workforces in the workplace. This study also revealed the impact on the individual and the organisation from the implementation of WFBPs. Hence, the study showed the interconnected manager roles in achieving the work-life balance whilst working with the O&G industry.
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Devries, Valerie Low. "A Mixed Methods Study on the Relationship among Strategic Human Resource Practices, SOAR, and Affective Commitment in the Federal Workplace." Thesis, Lawrence Technological University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10100301.
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Employees who remain with an organization because they want to, represent a positive organizational phenomenon known as affective commitment (AC). The purpose of this study is to investigate the predictive ability of strategic Human Resource (HR) practices to create AC in the context of federal knowledge workers, determine the role of SOAR in the relationship between strategic HR practices and AC, and the effect of AC on positive behavioral outcomes. SOAR stands for strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results.
This mixed methods study explored the relationship among strategic HR practices, SOAR, AC, and behavioral outcomes. Data were gathered using a survey instrument containing 42 items. The population was federal knowledge workers in a science and technology field. 204 participants completed the study survey and a final sample of N = 188 surveys were used for analysis.
Quantitative analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics; qualitative analysis included thematic analysis. Results from the quantitative analysis suggested that strategic HR practices predict AC; the SOAR construct is a partial mediator of the relationship between strategic HR practices and AC; SOAR did not function as a moderator of the relationship between strategic HR practices and AC; and AC encourages the development of positive behavioral outcomes. Results from the qualitative thematic analysis suggested that there are seven prominent themes that sustain commitment in this federal organization and they are: accountability, career advancement, leadership, meaningful work, mission, reward/recognition, and training.
For federal organizations similar to this one, it is recommended that they engage the SOAR approach to increase the effectiveness of strategic HR practices in generating AC; implement strategic HR practices that encompass the seven major themes; a positive proactive way of viewing employee commitment by cultivating AC as opposed to studying turnover trends; and engage in conversations about strategic change using dialogical methods based on appreciative inquiry. Future research could include studies on how the federal government communicates strategic HR practices to their employees and whether or not they choose to adopt dialogical versus diagnostic approaches.
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Rwamamara, Romuald. "The healthy construction workplace : best practices in the Swedish construction industry to prevent work-related musculosketal disorders among construction workers." Licentiate thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Arkitektur och vatten, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-26270.
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This thesis focuses on the reduction of work-related musculoskeletal disorders through the successful strategies contributing to a healthy construction workplace. The aim of this work is to contribute towards the understanding of a healthy construction workplace brought about by the best practices implemented by large construction sites. From a preventive perspective, a model for the construction workplace system balance can be used to identify strategies. Specifically this is aimed at: Identifying and describing the best practices conducive to work- related musculoskeletal health in the construction work environment.Providing recommendations to contribute to healthy construction workplaces, thus improving work-related musculoskeletal health and preventing the musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers.To identify the best practices in the Swedish industry to prevent work- related musculoskeletal disorders; several construction projects were investigated using interviews, site observations and company documents study. In every construction project, the investigation focused on six areas of the construction workplace system balance, namely the planning (including the pre-production planning), the technology used at the construction site, the work organization, the work environment, the work tasks performed and the individual worker. The results have shown that there are numerous best practices both in the pre-production and the production phases of the construction projects. Although, best practices were identified in the different areas of the construction workplace system balance, there seems to be a significant need for good practices in Systematic Work Environment Management (SWEM) and the implications of some payments methods on the production schedule had left much to be desired as far as construction workers' work-related musculoskeletal health is concerned. Limitations of the results are that there has been poor participation of the designers and the developers of the different construction projects investigated in the research study. Also, the participation of subcontractors' managers in this study was unexpectedly low. Another limitation of the study was a cultural attitude of interview respondents who did not often think that they had anything better than another construction workplace. This made it hard to ascertain the best practices from the interview participants. Based on the results and conclusions in this thesis a number of general recommendations are given: To increase the involvement of developers in the implementation of the work environment plan. Consider educating both the management and the employees about SWEM through workshops, and make an evaluation of SWEM with a procreative measurement. Housekeeping responsibilities should be spelt out in contracts and tender documents, and these documents should define the responsibilities. The management should consider providing opportunities to workers for physical fitness/training during work hours.Godkänd; 2005; 20061218 (haneit)
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Williamson, Amy. "Learning from the positive for preventable injury in the workplace: Can non-deterrence based approaches encourage compliance?" Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2019. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/132589/2/__qut.edu.au_Documents_StaffHome_staffgroupW%24_wu75_Documents_ePrints_Amy_Williamson_Thesis%5B1%5D.pdf.
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This thesis provided a qualitative investigation into the use of advice and information by Work Heath and Safety (WHS) inspectors in Queensland. The effective provision of advice and information is fundamental to the success of the overall regulatory approach in Queensland that aims to not only monitor and enforce but also assist and encourage compliance. The research examined the current state-of-play regarding the use of advice and information by WHS inspectors, and how it is experienced by members of the Queensland construction industry. Using positive psychology as a novel paradigm, the identification of three core principles underpinning effective use of advice and information led to the development of 11 recommendations for Work Health and Safety Queensland.
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Louw, Johannes Michael Adriaan. "The relationship between healthy workplace practices and the maturity of continuous improvement initiatives at a South African food manufacturer / J.M.A. Louw." Thesis, North-West University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/8761.
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Many companies fail to deliver adequate value from their continuous improvement (CI) initiatives. Both CI initiatives and organisational health and wellness programs aim to deliver significant organisational benefits. This research investigates whether there is a relationship between higher levels of healthy workplace practices (HWP), an outcome of successful organisational health and wellness programs, and the success and maturity of CI initiatives. Through quantitative research the levels of four HWP (healthy lifestyle habits, employee health, employee involvement and work-life balance) were investigated at the three manufacturing facilities of Heinz Foods South Africa (HFSA). The levels of these practices were then compared to the level of maturity for CI initiatives at these facilities, measured by means of a structured self-assessment. The empirical research showed that there was no clear evidence of a relationship between the HWP at HFSA and the maturity of CI initiatives. The research also showed that none of the four individual HWP displayed a significant relationship to any of the ten CI elements measured in the research. The research further showed that as the level of education increased, healthy lifestyle habits deteriorated but employee health improved. Employee involvement was higher for permanent and male employees and work-life balance was negatively correlated to job grade. This study provided insight in terms of where focus should be given when developing health and wellness programs at HFSA. Programs should focus on specific target groups and address specific needs, rather than being broad-based. Although employees are a critical element in the implementation of any CI initiatives, this research seems to suggest that the health and wellness of these employees are probably not the major contributing factor to the success of these initiatives. One limitation of this study was the low levels of CI maturity observed. Further research could consider whether improvements in healthy workplace practices over time will result in improvements in CI maturity.Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013
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Gardner, Jan Maria, University of Western Sydney, of Science Technology and Environment College, and School of Environment and Agriculture. "Assessment of effective implementation of respirator programs in industry in NSW." THESIS_CSTE_EAG_Gardner_J.xml, 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/781.
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In spite of the substantial repository of literature about respirators, little is known about the practicalities of their use. The focus of this research was about the practical aspects of using respirators in New South Wales workplaces. Two self-administered postal surveys were used to assess the level of implementation of respirator programs in 1996 and 2001. After five years, six elements improved. The most improvement was seen in the area of documentation including written procedures, keeping training records, recording respirator tasks, and maintenance records. The second survey investigated respirator maintenance and found little automated cleaning. Thorough washing was scarce with more than 50% of organisations relying on moist towelettes. For the third portion of the research methodology 485 used, half facepiece reusable respirators from 36 different sites were examined to determine the most common respirator defects. Maintenance and cleaning procedures were primitive and probably inadequate. Disinfection or sanitisation was common practice indicating concern about infectious diseases. The 2001 survey found that physical inspection of respirators in the workplace usually checked for the common types of defects found in the examination of used respirators. Weight, breathing resistance, heat and tightness were reported as causes of discomfort. The key outcomes from the research were that respirator programs were poorly implemented in a group of organisations that were expected to have more expertise than most and that the most common defects could be corrected by good respirator cleaning programs.Doctor of Philosphy (PhD)
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Rossouw, Willem Wouter. "Efficacy of a HIV intervention in the workplace, as measured by KAP (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) questionnaires a before and after study /." Connect to this title online, 2003. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05092005-102002/.
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Mattson, Malin. "Promoting safety in organizations : The role of leadership and managerial practices." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Psykologiska institutionen, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-116691.
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Workplace accidents and injuries are a growing problem for organizations in Sweden as well as in many other countries. As a consequence, improving workplace safety has become an area of increasing concern for employers and politicians as well as researchers. The aim of this thesis was to contribute to an increased understanding of how leadership and management practices can influence safety in organizations. In Study I, three leadership styles were investigated to determine their relative importance for different safety outcomes. A leadership style specifically emphasizing safety was found to contribute the most to employee safety behaviors; transformational leadership was found to be positive for safety behaviors only when it also involved a safety focus; and a transactional leadership style (management-by-exception active) was shown to be slightly negatively related to workplace safety. Study II examined the role of leader communication approaches for patient safety and the mechanisms involved in this relationship. Support was found for a model showing that one-way communication of safety values and leader feedback communication were both related to increased patient safety through the mediation of different employee safety behaviors (safety compliance and organizational citizen behaviors). Study III explored whether and in what ways the use of staff bonus systems may compromise safety in high-risk organizations. The three investigated systems were all found to provide limited incentives for any behavioral change. However, the results indicate that design characteristics such as clearly defined and communicated bonus goals, which are perceived as closely linked to performance and which aim at improved safety, are imperative for the influence that bonus programs have on safety. Group-directed goals also appeared to be more advantageous than corporate- or individual-level goals. The thesis highlights the importance of actively emphasizing and communicating safety-related issues, both through leadership and in managerial practices, for the achievement of enhanced workplace safety.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript.
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McCord, Kara E. "Factors Influencing Career Advancement Potential for Mothers in the Workplace." Xavier University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1534413635130894.
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Harvey, Howard Anthony. "THE PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING (TVET) PRACTICES AT AN URBAN TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN PREPARING THEIR STUDENTS FOR THE ADVANCED WORKPLACE." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2019. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/598899.
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Educational LeadershipEd.D.
This study will be investigating the perceptions of the implementation and modelling of best practices in technical vocational education and training (TVET) areas of endeavour. Four lecturers from three selected programmes will be investigated see how well they are preparing their students to enter the technically advanced workplace in an urban tertiary TVET institute in Jamaica. It has been reported by employers that graduates’ performance has been unsatisfactory in the sectors which require technically skilled professionals (HEART Trust, 2012). This investigation will incorporate a literature review of the apprenticeship system, and the current occupational training requirements as well consider competency based methods of teaching used in the TVET classroom. This will be in the context of career development theories, and constructivist and social learning theories. A qualitative research design method will be applied, using a case study approach. In addition to data collected from the lecturers, interviews, observation and focus group discussions with three groups of 15 students will also be collected. Additionally, the Director/ Principal of the Vocational Development Training Institute (VDTI) will be interviewed. Finally, a stakeholders’ report based on employee attitudes in various industries will be used to attain their perspectives on the preparedness of the TVET graduates for the workplace. The results and recommendations will be used to evaluate the best practices of the TVET lecturers.
Temple University--Theses
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Isah, Esther Ebole. "Physicians‟ information practices : a case study of a medical team at a Teaching Hospital." Doctoral thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Institutionen Biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap / Bibliotekshögskolan, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-3630.
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This thesis is a user study within library and information science on participatory practices of a professional group in work activity. This has been investigated only to a minor extent in previous library and information science research. The qualitative empirical focus alternates between physicians‟ engagements in work practice and workplace learning within patient care. The overall research problem was to learn how people in workplaces interacted with information that was embedded, intricately intertwined, and tightly bound to the ongoing routines of their everyday work. This thesis aims at understanding information practices of professionals in occupational settings as exemplified by a team of physicians in a Nigerian teaching hospital. In this thesis, the focus was on the collective work activity, and the specific goals identified include how physicians interact and make meaning in the context of the social activities in the workplace, how professionals individually or collectively gather, understand, produce, share and use information, and how workplace learning influences information practices. Information practices are viewed as sociocultural practices that occur inside other practices. The thesis focuses on a nuanced, contextualized understanding of the interplay between the participating actors in activity, the activity per se, and the intermediary role of tools and artefacts. The epistemological point of departure is the sociocultural perspective that emphasizes the dynamic interdependence of the individual with the social and collective development focusing on mediation through tools and artefacts in cultural, institutional, and historical situations. I have chosen cultural-historical activity theory and the practice theories to analyse the dynamic processes in the context of patient care. Their underlying principles guided the empirical study, facilitating extrapolations and illustrations in the analysis. The cultural-historical activity theory was used to understand contextual issues that influence information practices in work activity: the object and subject of activity, division of labour, rules and norms, community, tools and artefacts, as well as the activity system itself and the hierarchical structure of the activity. Theories and concepts employed from a practice perspective on learning were considered useful for understanding the participatory modes in workplace and the influence of social learning communities on diverse information processes. In so doing, the study strives to provide a holistic understanding of information practices, workplace learning, and the relationships between them.The empirical data was gathered through a qualitative case study that lasted over a period of two years. Direct observation was the dominant data collection technique 5 used throughout the preliminary and main empirical studies to capture physicians‟ information practices and experiences. The observation focused on the Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CPT) team‟s encounters with patients; the interactions they had amongst themselves, and events and situations surrounding patient care. During the main study, other data collection techniques were employed alongside the observation method. In-depth open-ended interviews were conducted with 17 physicians and 9 non-physicians who were selected to provide rich and varied descriptions of the phenomena under study. The interview time totalled at 1,535 minutes. Physical artefacts were another data collection technique employed: 30 patients‟ medical records were assessed during the empirical study. Finally, informal interactions in the research setting were an additional data collection technique used continuously throughout the two empirical periods. The results were analyzed through a combination of inductive and deductive methods of analysis. There are four parts to the empirical results in this thesis. In the first, contextual elements that showed how work environment can be an influencing factor in the information practices of a professional group are described from the perspective of cultural historical activity theory. In the second part, the nature of information access in the real-world information environment was portrayed. It was found that information sources and strategies contributed to the overarching goal of restoring patient health to normalcy. The information sources and strategies were also found useful for mediating the information environment both subjectively and intersubjectively. An equally important result concerns the authority issues related to information sources and strategies. In the third part, available tools and artefacts were presented as useful information aids that also played a mediating role. Tools were categorised into physical tools and language. Language was categorized according to the social situations or classes of speakers. The case notes were seen as useful artefact and occupied a central niche in the studied work activity. These tools and artefacts enabled affordances around which social practices were built on in the work activities. In the last part of the results, various information practices that mirror the participatory practices rather than those of isolated individuals are highlighted. Six dimensions made up and covered the most vital spectrum of the information processing: information gathering, meaning making, information sharing, information use, reading, and documentation. Furthermore, the study revealed that learning took place simultaneously with the work activity and that it influenced information practices at the same time.Academic dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science at the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Friday 19 October 2012 at 13.00 in lecture room D 211, University of Borås, Allégatan 1, Borås.