Occupational Asthma or Work-Related Exacerbation of Asthma

[Excerpt] Occupational asthma is asthma due to work exposures. It can be caused by a specific workplace agent with a specific immune system response – the agent is called a sensitizer. It has been recommended that whenever an adult experiences new-onset asthma, occupational asthma should be suspected. The respiratory symptoms of occupational asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, cough, and sputum production. While these are similar to asthma that is not work-related, these symptoms occur due to a work-related exposure

What\u27s HR Got to do with it? A Look at its Effects on the Bottom Line in Service-Based Organizations

[Excerpt] For a long time it was assumed that service-based organizations could compete on the basis of differentiation or on the basis of low prices, but not both. Great customer service was thought to require customized offerings that were necessarily time-consuming and costly to provide, whereas low prices could be achieved only by offering standardized services delivered in high-volume. More recently, however, spurred on by the Total Quality Management movement in manufacturing, an increasing number of service providers in hospitality, retail, healthcare, and other industries have rejected the conventional wisdom and adopted a so-called hybrid marketing strategy aimed at delivering personalized products and services at very competitive prices. In the telecommunications industry, for example, representatives in service and sales centers (hereafter call centers) are called upon to deliver great customer service by being highly responsive to each caller’s particular concerns while also generating revenue by offering a range of add-on services to meet individual\u27s particular needs or preferences. At the same time, though, these reps are expected to be highly efficient by minimizing the amount of time they spend on each call thus increasing the volume of calls handled per shift. Companies then put in place various HR practices intended to facilitate the simultaneous pursuit of these two seemingly contradictory outcomes. Research shows that this often results in relatively high levels of employee stress, burnout, absenteeism, and turnover. Thus far, though, no study has parsed the effects of existing HR practices on the attainment of the hybrid model’s two key operational outcomes – service quality and labor efficiency – or, ultimately, on the bottom line. The present study aims to fill this gap. As shown in Figure 1 on page 2, it examines the full range of linkages across four HR practices under the control of call center managers (discretionary work design, training, and two forms of compensation), the two operational outcomes (service quality and labor efficiency), and the firm’s preferred measure of profitability (net revenues per call). More specifically, the study addresses two basic questions. First, in call centers pursuing a hybrid marketing strategy which operational outcomes makes the greatest contribution to units’ financial outcomes? Are both equally necessary or is it better to excel at one while being simply okay on the other? Second, which locally-determined human resource practices – either singly or in combination – are most likely to result in the best blend of operational outcomes and, thus, the highest levels of unit profitability

When do Losers Become Leavers? Rejection and Turnover in Internal Talent Markets

[Excerpt] Internal talent markets (ITMs) are making a comeback thanks to tight external labor markets and the well-documented shortcomings of the “fire and hire” approach to staffing. While specifics vary, ITMs share three common characteristics: the internal posting of vacant positions, proactive measures urging employees to apply for available spots, and extensive screening procedures to winnow applicant pools down those most qualified for the jobs at hand. Studies show that, in contrast to less open internal staffing procedures, ITMs consistently produce superior hires who are more likely to remain with their firms, be more productive in their new jobs, and receive additional promotions later on. But ITMs have an inherent drawback: Each time they produce a “winner”, they simultaneously generate a number of “losers”; that is, a group of employees who applied for an available position but didn’t get it. Surprisingly, we know very little about how employees react to these rejections. This study aimed to correct this situation by analyzing data pertaining to 5,769 employees who lost out in one or more ITM competitions within a large U.S. based health services firm (hereafter HealthCo) between 2013 and 2017

How do Organizations Develop Global Talent Strategies While Accounting for Regional Differences?

[Excerpt] The rapid pace of demographic changes, coupled with globalization, has fueled the need for more effective Talent Acquisition (TA)/Talent Management (TM) practices in developing critical leadership talent, this is especially true in human resources (HR). In the US alone, companies spend almost $14 billion annually on leadership development. With only 33% of leaders believing that they have become more effective as managers after taking part such development programs and only 13% of senior executives having confidence in rising leaders at their firms, organizations must reevaluate their TA/TM strategies

What Future Emerging Outsourcing Countries Should Companies Evaluate for Expansion?

[Excerpt] With the rise of globalization and rapid advancements in technology, companies have looked at alternative measures such as outsourcing to keep capital and labor costs low, increase efficiency, improve revenue and profitability, gain competitive business advantages, focus on core business and reduce risks. Also, outsourcing can help companies tap into unexplored territories and talents that the increasingly globalized workforce has to offer. The role of human resources professionals is to decide what and how to source, and manage supplier coordination and development. In this research paper, these questions will be answered: 1) how to make outsourcing decisions, 2) how to manage outsourcing decisions, and 3) what are the potential markets

What Will Recruitment Look Like in Five Years and What Will Be Different From Today?

[Excerpt] Across most companies today, recruitment continues to follow the traditional model – hiring managers present lists of desired qualifications and responsibilities through job descriptions, applicants submit chronological summaries of their work experience, and recruiters review applications through the applicant tracking system to identify relevant skills and experience. In the next five to ten years, this model of recruitment will transform significantly. There are many reasons for this. First, careers today are more lattice-like, and less linear. Individuals’ career paths are characterized by shorter tenures, stretch assignments, entrepreneurial endeavors, time off work to spend with family, and gig work. The recruitment process should change to account for these “jagged resumes”. Second, as automation, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) take over manual, repetitive tasks, the work left to be performed by humans will be more creative and strategic, less predictable, and more consequential to the business overall. The stakes of making the right hire will increase, and recruiting will become a defining differentiator. Already, demand for recruiting professionals is up 63% since 2016. Lastly, as companies prepare for the future of work, recruitment practices will need to change to match new trends and challenges. For example, 50% of millennials are already freelancing, and this number is expected to rise significantly. 43% of college Gen Z’s are eyeing an entrepreneurial future over traditional workplaces. Given these broad trends, the future of recruitment will be marked by changes in three domains – recruitment technology, skills that companies recruit for, and the competencies of recruitment teams in the future

Faculty Publications 2018-2019

The production of scholarly research continues to be one of the primary missions of the ILR School. During a typical academic year, ILR faculty members published or had accepted for publication over 25 books, edited volumes, and monographs, 170 articles and chapters in edited volumes, numerous book reviews. In addition, a large number of manuscripts were submitted for publication, presented at professional association meetings, or circulated in working paper form. Our faculty\u27s research continues to find its way into the very best industrial relations, social science and statistics journal

Health and Wellness Programs: Why Employees Don\u27t Participate

[Excerpt] Eighty-five percent of large firms and 58 percent of small ones currently offer at least one program to promote health and wellness (H&W) among employees. Usually these have the twin goals of reducing companies’ healthcare costs while improving the quality of employees’ lives. Research shows that well-designed programs often attain both goals. But even the best of them frequently experience low participation rates, particularly among employees who are most likely to benefit from taking part. Why is this? More specifically, what factors do employees see as the major barriers impeding their participation in these types of programs? This study provides some answers to these questions. It is the first step in a larger research effort to identify interventions that are – and just as important are not – successful in overcoming barriers to participation in H&W programs. The study is taking place in a Fortune 500 company. The present analysis focuses on data provided by 3,000 of the firm’s employees who responded to a survey asking them to assess the significance of 14 potential barriers to their participation in two quintessential H&W programs – one focusing on healthy eating and the other on exercise and movement