The impact of the economic crisis upon human resource development (HRD): evidence from two Greek banks

This study investigates the nature and changes of Human Resource Development (HRD) in two Greek banks under the challenging context of the economic crisis. It examines the latter’s impact upon HRD as it was perceived from different stakeholders and through a pre and ongoing-crisis assessment approach. The study draws upon qualitative research data from two case study banking organizations in Greece, reporting on 76 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (HR staff, Bank Managers, employees) undertaken in 2014, six years after the fall of Lehman Brothers. The study contributes to academic knowledge as being the first empirical research offering a unique perspective through examining changes of HRD within a specific industry and national context (Greek banks) against a backdrop of an economic downturn. Its findings also raise important questions for HRD professionals, in both academia and practice, in relation to claims and aspirations which prevail in respect of HRD and organizational change and business transformation

Line managers' perceptions of diversity management: insights from a social exchange theory perspective

Purpose: Drawing on the social exchange theory, this study aims to explore line managers' perceptions of diversity management, as well as their perceptions of their role and responsibilities in shaping and implementing diversity practices. The senior management's leadership support, as it is perceived by line managers, in assisting them to manage diversity successfully is also examined. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews with 51 line managers across different sectors in the UK were conducted to address the following three research questions. First, how do line managers perceive diversity management? Second, what are the actual roles and responsibilities of line managers in shaping diversity practices' implementation? Third, how do leadership interactions within the organisation influence line managers' perceptions of diversity practices? Findings: Line managers present high levels of personal determination and commitment towards diversity supplemented by a consensus on the strategic role of leadership in relation to diversity management. In addition, poor levels of organisational support, leadership values and style are identified; all highly related to their ability to deliver results and, most importantly, to form effective relationships in the workplace. Research limitations/implications: Data included line managers' views but not senior managers' perspectives, thus limiting the study in identifying the holistic impact of social exchanges in shaping effective relations. In addition, quantitative research could test and enhance the generalisability of existing findings. Practical implications: Investing in social relationships can positively influence line managers' ability to deliver results. Action is required at the organisational level by senior management to support and recognise line managers' critical roles to enable them to apply and promote diversity management. Originality/value: These findings address a theoretical gap relating to the evaluation of the critical role played by line managers in the delivery of diversity practices. The study further demonstrates how social exchange relationships can influence line managers' perceptions of diversity management, an unexplored area within the diversity literature

Synthesis of novel non-toxic naphthenic and benzoic acid ionic liquids. Structure-properties relationship and evaluation of their biodegradability potential

Protic Ionic Liquids (PILs) are promising solvents with desirable physicochemical properties for a variety of applications. They are considered as greener alternatives to common organic solvents but in order to efficiently be characterized as green their environmental impact has to be assessed. In the present study, the design, synthesis and an initial potential hazard assessment of 11 naphthenic and benzoic acid based PILs is presented. PILs’ “greenness” is enhanced considering that they are non-toxic according to the aquatic toxicity evaluation and most of them show satisfactorily to extremely high biodegradability level. Moreover, two of their most important physicochemical properties, viscosity and glass transition temperature (Tg), were determined for selected ILs. The effect of the aromatic and alicyclic ring on the anions, the size and the presence of a hydroxyl substituent at anions and cations has been also discussed for the studied environmental and physicochemical properties. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

Synthesis and structure-properties relationship studies of biodegradable hydroxylammonium-based protic ionic liquids

In this work sixteen hydroxyl ammonium Protic Ionic Liquids derived from a proton transfer reaction between four different substituted amines and four different low molecular weight aliphatic and alicyclic carboxylic acids have been synthesized. The synthesized PILs were structurally characterized by NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy whereas two of their more important physicochemical properties namely viscosity and glass transition temperature (Tg) were evaluated. The effect of alkyl chain length and substitution on the anionic and cationic component of the PILs scaffold has been discussed for the studied properties. It seems that Tg values are mainly affected by the carboxylate anion structure whereas viscosity is controlled mainly by the structural features of the cationic part of the PILs. In order to estimate their environmental impact and reinforce their “green” character, biodegradation studies, as well as toxicity evaluation experiments have also been conducted. The synthesized PILs can be confidently labelled as green considering that they are not toxic or present low toxicity to the nauplii of the brine shrimp A. salina whereas they show biodegradability levels between 41–64%, according to the manometric respirometric method which measures the biological oxygen demand (BOD5) by microorganisms in order to degrade PILs via bio-oxidation in five days. © 2016 Elsevier B.V