Building leadership: how pride in your work leads to better attendance and quality

Human performance technology (HPT) stresses a rigorous analysis of present and desired levels of performance, identifies the causes of performance gaps, offers a wide range of interventions with which to improve performance, guides the change management process, and evaluates the results. The project described in this article follows this structure, providing evidence supporting the belief that HPT practice leads to superior performance in solving people-related problems. At times, human resource-related problems, such as a lack of trust in management, can lead to all sorts of other maladies. Attendance, quality, and on-time delivery can all be affected, as was the situation in the case illustrated in this article

Interacting with technology in an ever more complex World: Designing for an all-inclusive society

In a recent study we undertook we analyzed a relatively simple day-to-day technology namely the use of automatic teller machines (ATMs) by older adults. Our results alert to the fact that for an aging population Worldwide, even seemingly simple technological products (such as ATMs) have to be in future more carefully designed to be all-inclusive (e.g. intuitively usable by all) so that individuals do not feel marginalized by financially-oriented [as well as other] technology. This will enable obvious immediate benefits for people, including increased productivity, quality of life and independence. Recent studies have proven that belonging to social groups and networks – in sum, feeling included through one’s relationships in society – can be just as important for one’s health as diet and exercise – social isolation can be a health hazard comparable to that of smoking, high blood pressure and obesity (Jetten et al. 2009). Computers and technology, on the other hand, are to become ever more present in society (Challenger 2009). We thus believe that steps have to be taken to prevent the elderly and other groups with limitations from feeling disconnected in an increasingly technological World. Otherwise we will incur hidden costs at a growing rate (U.S. Census Bureau)

Business Model Generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers and challengers

The book entitled “Business Model Generation: A Handbook for visionaries, game changers and challengers” though written by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010) was also co-created by 470 practitioners from 45 countries. The book is thus a good example of how a global creative collaboration effort can contribute positively to the business and management literature and subsequently to the advancement of society. The book "Business Model Generation" has both narrative and visual detail. Before proceeding to do an in-depth review of “Business Model Generation” we first looked at other publications by the authors which led up to the book

Producing innovation: Comments on Lee and Yu (2010)

The purpose of the article being reviewed (Lee and Yu, 2010), a survey by questionnaire with 182 valid responses, is to analyze “how different relationship styles of employees in the hi-tech industry influence innovation performance” and indeed its conclusions are that “the relationship style of an organization has a significant positive effect on innovation performance”. We see Lee and Yu (2010) as being similar to another highly cited article by Morgan and Hunt in so far as both articles are about relationships, cooperation and trust

Facilitating qualitative research in business studies - Using the business narrative to model value creation

This is a conceptual paper supported by empirical research giving details of a new Business Narrative Modelling Language (BNML). The need for BNML arose given a growing dissatisfaction with qualitative research approaches and also due to the need to bring entrepreneurs, especially those with little training in management theory, closer to the academic (as well as practitioner) discussion of innovation and strategy for value creation. We aim primarily for an improved communication process of events which can be described using the narrative, in the discussion of the value creation process. Our findings, illustrated through a case study, should be of interest to both researchers and practitioners alike

Making ​Activist Songbook​ Virtual

In Making Activist Songbook Virtual, composer and professor Byron Au Yong, discusses the challenges and complexities of moving 53 new activist raps and songs to a virtual format. As the songbook was participatory in nature, the creative team also had to examine methods of fostering online civic engagement

As diretivas de garantias processuais da União Europeia, em especial a diretiva (UE) 2016/343 do parlamento Europeu e do conselho de 9 de março de 2016, relativa ao reforço de certos aspetos da presunção de inocência e do direito de comparecer em julgamen

This article gives a general overview of the EU procedural safeguard directives and of legal instruments of Portugal and Spain that transposed them. It points out common objectives, grounds and concepts of the Directives in the legal and institutional framework of the EU, underlining the principle of mutual recognition and related needs for the harmonization of domestic laws. It addresses some of the tensions implied in the protection of fundamental rights from a national perspective, the principles of primacy unity and effectiveness of EU Law, the European Convention on Human Rights, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and of the Court of Justice. It then concentrates its analysis on some important aspects of the Directive (EU) 2016/343 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 of March, on the strengthening of certain aspects of the presumption of innocence and of the right to be present at the trial in criminal proceedings. It analyses a) the objective and subjective scope of the Directive; b) the minimum procedural safeguards concerning trials “in absentia” when compared to the European Arrest Warrant Framework Decision; c) the effects of the non-regression clause in the scope of this Directive.Este artículo ofrece una visión general de las Directivas de la UE sobre garantías procesales y de los instrumentos legales de transposición en Portugal y España. Señala los objetivos comunes, los ámbitos y conceptos de las Directivas en el marco institucional y legal de la Unión Europea, subrayando el principio de reconocimiento mutuo y necesidades relacionadas para la armonización de las leyes nacionales. Trata algunas de las tensiones implícitas en la protección de los derechos fundamentales desde una perspectiva nacional, los principios de primacía, unidad y efectividad del Derecho de la Unión Europea, el Convenio Europeo de Derechos Humanos, la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos y del Tribunal de Justicia. Tras ello se centra en el análisis en los aspectos más importantes de la Directiva (EU) 2016/343 del Parlamento Europea y del Consejo de 9 de marzo, sobre fortalecimiento de ciertos aspectos de la presunción de inocencia y del derecho a estar presente en el juicio en el proceso penal. Se analizan: a) el ámbito objetivo y subjetivo de la Directiva; b) las garantías procesales mínimas relativas a los “juicios en ausencia” en comparación con la Decisión Marco sobre la Orden Europea de Detención y Entrega; c) los efectos de la cláusula de noregresión en el ámbito de esta Directiva

Teaching innovation – a comparison between courses in Europe and in the USA

What role does the formal teaching of innovation management play? Courses in Europe and the USA are reviewed, especially two courses, MIETE, taught at the University of Porto, in Portugal, and the Stanford University and Michigan University model from the USA. As these flagship courses have resulted in real innovations being introduced into the market formal teaching may well play a decisive role in the larger scenario of real innovation management. A literature review was performed and these two aforementioned cases studied in depth – MIETE via repeated contact with its Director and through the analysis of other publicly available information; while the Stanford University and Michigan University model was analysed by way of a comprehensive publication. A model for innovation and entrepreneurship is put forward whereby personal characteristics, the environment, and career experience and formal teaching will all play a part in the output of innovation and entrepreneurship in society

Warehouse management system and business performance: Case study of a regional distribution centre

This paper examines Warehouse Management System (WMS) practices and their effects on operations. This study analyses the relationship between adoption of WMS to its impacts on business performance and competitive advantage of a regional distribution centre.In terms of business performance, the focus is placed on various competitive cores of distribution centre.WMS was found has a positive impact on companies' performance on operations management measures.To adopt the MIS, wireless barcode embedded WMS in specific, it is necessary to have corporate culture that supports complex operational activities.WMS implementation is crucial in bringing cost reduction in operational level, effective management in management level, as well as improvement of the company's competitiveness in strategic level. Companies that manage warehousing of their products are expected to implement WMS in order to maintain their competitive edge in the global market place

Evaluation of occupational safety and health policies in Malaysia / Au Yong Hui Nee

The initial Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) legislation in Malaysia was constructed by the British administration. Malaysia continued to improve the legislation's scope to ensure that it continues to support the nation's growth. Workers in the warehousing and storage industry or third party logistic providers in some cases suffer high rate of occupational accidents as reflected in considerable share of occupational fatalities and lost-time injuries. OSH of workers should be integrated into the management plans so as to yield the benefits of high efficiency workforce. The main OSH national policy in Malaysia is the enactment of Factories and Machinery Act (FMA) 1967 and Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994. Other legislation was also formulated to address specific issues and concerns. This paper reviews their implementation and various impacts on OSH in Malaysia. Data were obtained from official sources. This paper discusses the current OSH status of warehousing and storage industry. The OSH problems are tied largely to the companies' organization and how the work is performed. Occupational accidents happened which resulted from many factors including poor OSH management system, inadequacies in access to information, inadequate training of personnel, machinery was not provided with appropriate tools and improper adoption of personal protective equipment, while the employees lacked awareness and knowledge of OSH and emergency response. Recommendations to improve OSH level are discussed in the paper. Potential solutions are such as enhancement in labor-management OSH planning and management, training of employees, adoption of new technologies, up-to-date regulation, and continuous health monitoring