Synergy and Its Limits in Managing Information Technology Professionals

We examine the effects of human resource management (HRM) practices (e.g., career development, social support, compensation, and security) on IT professionals‟ job search behavior. Job search is a relatively novel dependent variable in studies of voluntary withdrawal behavior, in general, and for IT professionals, in particular. From a universalistic perspective, HRM practices individually and in combination exhibit independently additive effects on job search behavior. Our study contrasts this perspective with configurational theory, hypothesizing that proposed idealtype configurations of HRM practices have synergistic effects on job search behavior. We contribute to the IT and broader HRM literature by theoretically explicating and empirically demonstrating with IT professionals the power of configurational theory to explain the relationship between HRM practices and job search behavior. Our empirical results show that two configurations of HRM practices – Human Capital Focused (HCF) and Task Focused (TF), which are high and low on all HRM practices, respectively – exhibit a synergistic relationship with the job search behavior of IT professionals. HCF has lower job search behavior than would be expected based on the independently additive effects of the HRM practices, whereas TF has correspondingly higher job search behavior. Our results also show that less than perfect horizontal fit detracts from the synergy of these extreme configurations. Just as importantly, several other non-extreme configurations of HRM practices exhibit independently additive effects for the HRM practices but not synergy, suggesting that synergy is limited to extreme configurations. We also discuss a number of implications for research and practice

Mapping Jewish Education: The National Picture

Based on interviews as well as a database of Jewish educational organizations, foundations, and programs, examines their accomplishments, challenges, future directions, and links within a Jewish educational system. Highlights the role of foundations

Global Talentship: Toward a Decision Science Connecting Talent to Global Strategic Success

It is widely accepted that global competitive advantage frequently requires managing such complex situations that traditional organization and job structures are simply insufficient. Increasingly, in order to create a flexible and integrated set of decisions that balance local flexibility with global efficiency, organizations must rely on more social, informal and matrix-based shared visions among managers and employees. Research on global strategic advantage, global organizational structures, and even shared mindsets has suggested that dimensions of culture, product and function provide a valuable organizing framework. However, typical decisions about organization structure, HRM practices and talent often remain framed at such a high level as to preclude their solution. We maintain that there is often no logical answer to such questions as, “Should the sales force be local or global?” or “Should product authority rest with the countries or the corporate center?” However, we propose that embedding business processes or value chains within a Culture and Product matrix provides the necessary analytic detail to reveal otherwise elusive solutions. Moreover, by linking this global process matrix to a model that bridges strategy and talent, it is possible to identify global “pivotal talent pools,” and to target organizational and human resource investments toward those talent areas that have the greatest impact on strategic advantage. We demonstrate the Value-Chain, Culture and Product (VCCP) matrix using several examples, and discuss future research and practical implications, particularly for leadership and leadership development

Cross-Cultural Communication within American and Chinese Colleagues in Multinational Organizations

Globalization is a mantra nowadays that has been employed to describe the highly active exchange activities between countries and regions across the globe. It takes a multidimensional form, connecting people and things regardless of spatial and temporal confines, and permeating into all walks of life. Along with changes brought by this dynamic international interaction, a myriad of organizations, no longer isolated and static, are beginning to ride on this gravy train by expanding tentacles into every cranny and nook of the globe. One of the challenges that is facing the multinational organizations is the increasing diversity of the workforce and similarly complex prospective customers with disparate cultural backgrounds. After all, language barriers, cultural nuances, and value divergence can easily cause unintended misunderstanding and low efficiency in internal communication in a multinational environment. It leads to conflict among employees and profit loss in organizational productivity. Therefore, in international organization, cross-cultural communication, also known as intercultural and trans-cultural communication, serves as a lubricant, which mitigates frictions, resolves conflicts, and improves overall work efficiency; likewise, it serves as coagulant, which integrates the collective wisdom and strength, enhances the collaboration of team work, and unites multiple cultures together between race and ethnicity, which leads to desirable virtuous circle of synergy effect. This paper identifies three aspects of culture that constitute people’s understanding between each other in professional settings, namely, language and non-language code; cultural values and beliefs; as well as cultural stereotypes and preconceptions

Resources for Workplace Diversity: An Annotated Practitioner Guide to Information

[Excerpt] We are pleased to offer this updated edition of Resources for Workplace Diversity: An Annotated Practitioner Guide to Information, a unique offering of The Workplace Diversity Network. Our goal is to assemble a selected, annotated list of compelling and useful resources available to help diversity practitioners create organizations that are diverse and productive. As a working group, we agreed that useful resources would include newly published books as well as historic, seminal works that provide insight and illumination irrelevant of their age. In the updated edition, we’ve expanded existing sections, added new ones and referenced online access where possible. Designed with practitioner needs in mind, Resources for Workplace Diversity is meant to be an evolving document, one that will grow according to the needs and recommendations of its users. To capture the advantage of networking, we invite you to suggest additional resources that you have found to be valuable

Leadership: professional communities of leadership practice in post-compulsory education

Summary: This is a paper that reviews and outlines the academic basis behind leadership in the post-compulsory setting. Description: Leadership has been for some years a key area of strategic and operational importance in the UK post-compulsory sector - this publication aims to addresss some of the issues surrounding this topic. It discusses theories and definitions of leadership, leader professionalism and post-compulsory education. A collaborative model of professional leadership is recommended, informed by authentic, democratic dialogue with practitioners. Coalitions that foster professional networking and collaborative leadership can be creatively developed through the establishment of intentionally designed communities of leadership practice. The CAMEL (Collaborative Approaches to the Management of e-Learning) JISC infoNet HEFCE/LGM-funded model for communities of practice is discussed as one model which provides a useful template for the development of shared knowledge through professional communities of practice in collaborative leadership. It is argued that this provides a helpful way of enabling and supporting leaders to advance their understanding and ‘know how' in leadership practices in a sector currently facing significant challenges from demanding external targets and continuous monitoring in an ‘audit culture’. The publication also and gives examples of good practice and many references and links for information

Vulnerability reduction of infrastructure reconstruction projects

Various infrastructure segments of numerous countries have been repeatedly subjected to natural and man-made disasters. The potential reason of damaging infrastructure facilities and their services is resultant disaster risks due to natural or man-made hazards connect with vulnerable infrastructure facilities and vulnerable communities. The simplest way to prevent or mitigate disaster losses is addressing vulnerabilities. The main study based on which this paper was compiled aimed at exploring and investigating the vulnerabilities of infrastructures and communities benefited from infrastructures and possible solutions to overcome them. This paper presents the literature review conducted on vulnerabilities of infrastructures and empirical evidence collated on best possible DRR strategies to overcome such vulnerabilities of infrastructures. The main study was conducted using case study strategy and the expert interviews. This paper is entirely based on the data collated from the expert interviews conducted in Sri Lanka and United Kingdom. The expert interviews discovered various DRR strategies to overcome the vulnerabilities of the infrastructure project

Toward a Strategic Perspective of Human Resource Management

[Excerpt] The current decade has brought yet another transformation in the practice and study of human resource management (HRM). The field, for better or for worse, has discovered, and indeed begun to embrace, a strategic perspective. The intellectual energy currently being invested in discussions of the nature, extent, and desirability of this development is a clear indication that something of significance is afoot. Understand it or not, believe in it or not, like it or not, strategy is well on its way to becoming an important paradigm behind much of what HR professionals do and think

Exploring experiences of alarm response and alarm fatigue among nurses working in the ICU of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan: A qualitative study

Background: Alarm fatigue is a significant concern within the healthcare sector, marked by the excessive exposure of healthcare practitioners to clinical alarms. This prolonged exposure can result in desensitization and delay nurse’s responsiveness to vital warnings. The occurrence of inaccurate alarms intensifies desensitization, undermining confidence in alarm systems and potentially leading nurses to ignore alarms. Alarm fatigue is a prevalent issue of worldwide significance, which calls for more investigation to effectively tackle these issues and enhance understanding of alarm systems to get the best possible treatment results. However, there is a lack of study undertaken in Pakistan about the investigation regarding response of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to clinical alarms and their understanding of alarm fatigue.Purpose: The objectives of this study are to describe the type and criticality of alarms produced by machines at the patient’s bedside and explore the experiences of alarm response and alarm fatigue among nurses working in the ICU of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.Methodology: This study used an observational descriptive exploratory methodology to investigate the experiences of alarm response and alarm fatigue among nurses working in the ICU. The research was conducted in an 11-bed intensive care unit, with nurses selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected through observations (camera and documentation) and interviews, and the findings were analyzed through content analysis. Moreover, synergy model was used as a theoretical framework for this study.Finding: The study investigated how nurses respond to clinical alerts and their perception of alarm fatigue. The observational findings highlighted a diverse range of alarms and demonstrated variations in nurse responses to these alerts. Additionally, the observations identified discrepancies between the alarms set on monitors and those documented on the flowsheet. The content analysis study identified five key themes: Alarm setting guarantees patient Safety, Alarms response follows standards and patient priority, alarm driven nurse’s actions, alarm fatigue exists and is dangerous, alarm fatigue can be combat. Moreover, the study illuminates the consequences of alarm desensitization and explores methods to alleviate alarm fatigue.Conclusion: The findings of the study offer crucial suggestions for nursing leaders and administrators to enact policies aimed at reducing alarm fatigue among nurses. The recommendations encompass the implementation of procedures aimed at prioritizing alerts according to their level of criticality, the provision of education and training programs focused on the appropriate handling of alarms, and the frequent evaluation of the efficacy of existing alarm systems