Exploring employer behaviour in relation to Investors in People

"This report explores employer behaviour in relation to choices they make about Investors in People (IIP) accreditation in order for the future IIP strategy to ensure IIP is relevant, adds value to employers and tackles any barriers to successful delivery. The research focuses on the decision-making processes and experiences of three key groups of employers: employers that have held IIP accreditation for a number of years; employers who previously held IIP accreditation but have let this lapse; and employers who committed to gaining IIP accreditation but subsequently did not to go through the assessment process" - page 1

Unlocking the black box: line managers and HRM performance in a call centre context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the way to unlock the black box of HRM and performance linkages by exploring one of the key variables that mediates the link, namely whether line managers can stimulate improvements in firm performance by eliciting appropriate employee outcomes in a call centre context. Design/methodology/approach – The research draws on Purcell's "People-Performance Model" as a sensitising framework to inform an in-depth case study of a call centre. This provides a mechanism to unlock the HRM-Performance black box by focusing on the ability, motivation and opportunities for line managers to perform and any subsequent impact on employee outcomes. Data were collected over multiple site visits by means of multi-level interviews and a survey of telesales representatives (TSRs). Findings – Research findings indicate that one large client exerted significant control over the HRM policies developed within the call centre. Evidence suggests, however, that line managers'interventions ameliorated some of the negative aspects of work tasks and the HRM imposed by this dependency relationship. Research limitations/implications – This research is an exploratory attempt to better understand HRM-Performance linkages in one specific context. Results are not generalisable across contexts or even within call centres, which can vary extensively. Nonetheless, the research suggests that exploring line management behaviour is a promising avenue for more extensive research. Originality/value – This paper considers HRM-Performance linkages in a service context. Results indicate that both external relations and line managers are critical mediating variables conditioning HRM-Performance linkages, thereby lending support to the notion that hard and soft HRM practices are not necessarily irreconcilable

Employment conditions in the scottish social care voluntary sector : impact of public funding constraints in the context of economic recession

This report uses data to assess the impact of public funding constraints on employment conditions in the Scottish social care voluntary sector, in the context of the recent economic recessionand future public expenditure cuts

Work Organisation and Innovation in Ireland

[Excerpt] Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees’ overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from three case studies carried out in the Republic of Ireland, where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes and where social partners played a significant role in their design and development

Impact of CSR perceptions on workers’ innovative behaviour: exploring the social exchange process and the role of perceived external prestige

The study aims to show how organisational corporate social responsibility (CSR) can influence workers’ attitudes, especially in terms of innovative behaviour (IB). A second aim is to explore the social exchange process that may underlie this relationship, by examining the mediating role of organisational trust (OT), affective commitment (AC) and happiness (HAP), and the moderating role of perceived external prestige (PEP). The authors employ structural equation modelling based on survey data obtained from 315 Portuguese individuals. The findings show that perceptions of CSR predict IB through a social exchange process which involves the mediating role of OT, AC and HAP and the moderating process of PEP. They suggest that managers should implement CSR practices because these can contribute towards fostering IB, but that they should also invest in communication and in the process of upgrading corporate image. This study enriches the existing knowledge about social exchange relationships in organisational contexts, and responds to the need to understand underlying mechanisms linking CSR with workers’ organisational outcomes, by analysing CSR practices from a holistic stakeholder perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

To identify strategies for differentiating Kebabs Salateen within its market

The aim of this research is to identify strategies for differentiating Kebabs Salateen within its market. The head office of Kebabs Salateen is in Auckland. The company, Auckland Kebabs Limited, was formed in 2014 in Auckland. The original Salateen in Hamilton was in a building on Ward Street, but unfortunately, it was shut down due to safety concern. After 16 months Auckland Kebabs Limited talked to the old Salateen owner, and with his consent, Auckland Kebabs Limited opened the business in Ward Street and kept their old name to attract customers. This study investigates Kebabs Salateen’s internal and external factors. In this research, SWOT, PESTLE, and a competitor analysis of Kebabs Salateen have been completed to identify strategies used in the business. As part of this study, qualitative methods and a convenient sampling method were used. Interviews were taken from customers and employees of Kebabs Salateen to identify customer and employee satisfaction. Primary data was gathered, and secondary sources of data were used to analyse the current situation at Kebabs Salateen. Different strategies were identified and applied in different areas of the business, such as organisational structure, competitive advantage and customer analysis in Kebabs Salateen. The study also identified some direct and indirect competitors of Kebabs Salateen. The analysis of the result included different strategies in business and how these strategies can fit in other areas of the research. According to the findings, customers and employees were 80% and 90% respectively satisfied with the service and quality of Kebabs Salateen. To achieve 100% customer satisfaction, Kebabs Salateen needs to overcome their weaknesses according to feedback and suggestions from customers. The manager, therefore, needs to implement these suggestions immediately

Customer acquisition and engagement in Magic Chinese Health Massage

With the development of massage business, there are more and more massage shops established in Hamilton. Magic Chinese Health Massage is one of them. To achieve a successful development, having appropriate strategies of customer acquisition and engagement is necessary. The aim of this research is to recommend effective and efficient approaches to attract and retain customers for Magic Chinese Health Massage. The research is implemented in the Magic Chinese Health Massage shop through the interview and observation. As a result, the researcher finds the massage shop has a good reputation but it also has some drawbacks of services, advertising and its social media. Therefore, customer services, shop advertising and the social media of Magic Chinese Health Massage should be improved. To achieve the improvement, advertising is recommended to have more detail to attract customers and customer services can be more flexible. Similarly, its social media, such as Facebook, should be updated frequently