Good Work with Toil: A Paradigm for Redeemed Work

Management scholars within the disciplines of Organizational Behavior (OB), Human Resource Management (HRM or HR) and Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology seek to study and promote employee productivity and welfare within organizations. While there are differing foci across these three disciplinary areas, their researchers and practitioners strive for equilibrium between the needs of employees and employers. Given this charter, it would be reasonable to expect that these fields would have deeply articulated philosophical roots regarding the nature of humanity, its social and physical systems, and the meaning associated with good work. Yet historically, apart from a perfunctory nod to Max Weber\u27s identification and analysis of the Protestant work ethic on one hand, and the self-referenced agency theory on the other, there has been little articulation of the underlying assumptions associated with management scholarship, and even less still that has been developed from an explicitly faith-informed perspective. This lack of perspective has consequences for furthering both management theory and practice since the ideology or philosophical orientation associated with management research has important consequences for theory development, the nature of hypotheses, the format of the research methodology, the interpretation of study results, the organization of research within the larger prevailing worldview and ultimately, the practice of management and the quality of work life in organizations. The nascent work in Management, Spirituality and Religion and Positive Organizational Scholarship has begum to fill the gaps in a generally materialist orientation towards management research by emphasizing the non-materialist, transcendent and relational role that work has to play in connecting employees with a higher sense of purpose or meaning in life. However, with the lack of a common philosophical or theological framework, this research tends to use individual subjective experience as its criterion for determining what good work actually is. Although we do not argue with the value of work providing opportunities for subjective well-being or a personal sense of meaning, we do make the case that Christian theology can lead to the development of a more nuanced and objective approach to addressing work ideology beyond a generally positive and subjective orientation. The purpose of this paper is to draw upon the Christian themes of creation, fall and redemption to draw parallels with theories found in current management literature, and to articulate the meaning of good work

The Impact of Impression Management Over Time

The purpose of these studies was to investigate how the repeated use of impression management (IM) tactics is related to supervisor perceptions in newly formed supervisor-subordinate dyads. Two studies were conducted – a lab study in which participants evaluated a confederate who performed an accounting task while using different types of IM across five trials, and a field study examining the IM tactics of new employees and their supervisors’ ratings of likability and performance at two points in time. In the lab study, the repeated use of ingratiation had an increasingly positive effect on performance ratings, whereas repeated apologies had an increasingly negative effect on evaluations of performance. Theinfluence of IM tactics on ratings of subordinate likability did not change with repeated use. In the field study, subordinates’ use of apologies and justifications was more strongly associated with supervisor evaluations of likability and performance in earlier stages of their relationship. Employees need to be mindful that IM tactics may vary in their effectiveness depending on the timing and frequency of their use. Furthermore, supervisors should consider the initial influence that IM has on their ability to objectively evaluate new subordinates. This research is unique in that it examined how the repeated use of both assertive (i.e. ingratiation and self-promotion) and defensive (i.e. apologies and justifications) IM tactics are related to both evaluations of likability and performance ratings at multiple points in time

A Magnetic Pull on the Internal Compass: The Moderating Effect of Response to Culture on the Relationship Between Moral Identity and Ethical Sensitivity

Much of current writing on organizational ethics and leadership has argued for the importance of an internal moral compass: integrity around one’s ethics that is not compromised by an environment that would encourage and reward unethical behavior. While a strong internal ethical system has its merits for organizational life, people do not always act based on their internal ethical standards. Theologian Richard Niebuhr suggested that people will act on their ideals to the extent that they expect this behavior to make a difference. Using the five categories from Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture, we identified three worldviews which we termed “Response to Culture”: 1) Aligned – no contradiction between the expectations of the larger culture and their own beliefs; 2) Transform – belief that they are capable of changing culture for good; and 3) Paradox – a view of oneself at odds with the surrounding culture. We found that these three responses moderated the relationship between moral identity and ethical sensitivity. Moral identity did influence ethical sensitivity and intent to act. However, people whose values were aligned with culture were less ethically sensitive than the other two perspectives. Additionally people who endorsed a transforming culture perspective were more likely to show concern for others and less likely to make a business decision that could harm others, particularly when moral identity was high. On the other hand people with a paradox perspective were more likely to identify ethical concerns but less likely to act on them, particularly when moral identity was high

Communication Technologies and Interpersonal Relationships: Some Considerations from Theology

While the unintended consequences and high pace of change associated with technology will change the nature and types of our interpersonal relationships, Christian theology provides a lens through which we can evaluate these changes. In this paper we outline some theological principles that undergird our understanding of what God intends for relationships, as well as ways that our relationships are either consistent or inconsistent with God\u27s intentions in terms of healthy and unhealthy relationships. We then discuss ways in which communication technology can amplify both positive and negative aspects of relationships, providing examples from the workplace. We classify the impact of technology on relationships through one of four categories: connectivity, closeness, engagement, and/or reciprocal understanding. Finally, we summarize our conclusions about ways that Christians could think about and engage with technology, and we discuss some areas where future research would be useful

Pre-service and Practicing Teachers’ Commitment to and Comfort with Social Emotional Learning

Although teachers’ beliefs about social-emotional learning have become a topic of interest, understanding how they relate to teachers’ own social-emotional competence is unknown. We used a predictive correlation design to examine how Canadian pre-service (n=138) and in-service (n=276) teachers’ beliefs about social-emotional competence relate to their comfort with and commitment to social-emotional learning, and how both sets of beliefs are related to their perceived efficacy for classroom management and engagement with students. Regression analyses revealed that comfort with social-emotional learning significantly predicted both outcomes for both groups whereas commitment to social-emotional learning did not. Perceived social-emotional competence also played an important role. Pre-service teachers felt more committed to social-emotional learning, whereas in-service teachers felt more comfortable and believed they had higher levels of social-emotional competence themselves. Implications for supporting the development of teachers’ own social-emotional competence and suggestions for future research are provided.Si les croyances des enseignants relatives à l’apprentissage socio-affectif suscitent beaucoup d’intérêt, on ignore le lien entre celles-ci et la compétence socio-affective des enseignants eux-mêmes. Nous appuyant sur une conception de corrélations prédictives, nous avons examiné le lien entre les croyances des stagiaires (n=138) et des enseignants en exercice (n=276) relatives à la compétence socio-affective d’une part, et l’aise et l’engagement dont ils font preuve face à l’apprentissage socio-affectif, d’autre part. De plus, nous nous sommes penchés sur la mesure dans laquelle les croyances des participants sont liées à leur perception de l’efficacité de leur gestion de classe et de leur engagement avec les élèves. Des analyses de régression ont révélé qu’un sentiment d’aisance avec l’apprentissage socio-affectif prédit de manière significative les deux résultats pour les deux groupes alors que ce n’était pas le cas pour un engagement face à l’apprentissage socio-affectif. La perception de la compétence socio-affective a également joué un rôle important. Les stagiaires avaient un sentiment d’engagement plus fort envers l’apprentissage socio-affectif, tandis que les enseignants en exercice se sentaient plus à l’aise et croyaient que leur niveau de compétence socio-affective était plus élevé. Nous présentons quelques implications d’appuyer le développement de la compétence socio-affective des enseignants et des suggestions pour la recherche à l’avenir

Implications of Biblical Principles of Rhythm and Rest for Individual and Organizational Practices

The information technology economy with its endless 24/7 workdays has eroded the normative cycle of work and rest, and as a result, many Americans are experiencing a profound and increasing sense of time pressure. By integrating biblical passages relating to Sabbath observance with psychological and organizational empirical literature, Diddams et al seek describe the principles of rest, reflection, and relationships underlying biblical notions of rhythm; identify their associated influence on psychological wellness; and discuss how organizations can embrace a rhythmic, Sabbath culture

Examining Factors that Support Continued Use of Assistive Technology by Postsecondary Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions in growing numbers. As such, disability service providers on campuses are providing more accommodations, including assistive technology (AT). AT can help students with a variety of learning needs; however, many students discontinue use despite the benefits that this technology can provide. To increase our understanding of discontinued use of AT, we collected both quantitative questionnaire data and open-ended written qualitative data. First, we examined three factors theorized to relate to continued use of AT and found that individual factors were more important than the environment or characteristics of the technology itself. Second, we investigated students’ experiences with AT training and determined that the quality of the training experience and not simply attending training, was related to continued use of AT. Furthermore, we provide recommendations for individuals providing training to students. Collectively, the results provide the basis for suggestions concerning support and services offered to students utilizing AT

CCR5 limits cortical viral loads during West Nile virus infection of the central nervous system

BACKGROUND: Cell-mediated immunity is critical for clearance of central nervous system (CNS) infection with the encephalitic flavivirus, West Nile virus (WNV). Prior studies from our laboratory have shown that WNV-infected neurons express chemoattractants that mediate recruitment of antiviral leukocytes into the CNS. Although the chemokine receptor, CCR5, has been shown to play an important role in CNS host defense during WNV infection, regional effects of its activity within the infected brain have not been defined. METHODS: We used CCR5-deficient mice and an established murine model of WNV encephalitis to determine whether CCR5 activity impacts on WNV levels within the CNS in a region-specific fashion. Statistical comparisons between groups were made with one- or two-way analysis of variance; Bonferroni’s post hoc test was subsequently used to compare individual means. Survival was analyzed by the log-rank test. Analyses were conducted using Prism software (GraphPad Prism). All data were expressed as means ± SEM. Differences were considered significant if P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: As previously shown, lack of CCR5 activity led to increased symptomatic disease and mortality in mice after subcutaneous infection with WNV. Evaluation of viral burden in the footpad, draining lymph nodes, spleen, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum derived from WNV-infected wild-type, and CCR5(−/−) mice showed no differences between the genotypes. In contrast, WNV-infected, CCR5(−/−) mice exhibited significantly increased viral burden in cortical tissues, including the hippocampus, at day 8 post-infection. CNS regional studies of chemokine expression via luminex analysis revealed significantly increased expression of CCR5 ligands, CCL4 and CCL5, within the cortices of WNV-infected, CCR5(−/−) mice compared with those of similarly infected WT animals. Cortical elevations in viral loads and CCR5 ligands in WNV-infected, CCR5(−/−) mice, however, were associated with decreased numbers of infiltrating mononuclear cells and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that regional differences in chemokine expression occur in response to WNV infection of the CNS, and that cortical neurons require CCR5 activity to limit viral burden in this brain region

Designing an automated clinical decision support system to match clinical practice guidelines for opioid therapy for chronic pain

Abstract Background Opioid prescribing for chronic pain is common and controversial, but recommended clinical practices are followed inconsistently in many clinical settings. Strategies for increasing adherence to clinical practice guideline recommendations are needed to increase effectiveness and reduce negative consequences of opioid prescribing in chronic pain patients. Methods Here we describe the process and outcomes of a project to operationalize the 2003 VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline for Opioid Therapy for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain into a computerized decision support system (DSS) to encourage good opioid prescribing practices during primary care visits. We based the DSS on the existing ATHENA-DSS. We used an iterative process of design, testing, and revision of the DSS by a diverse team including guideline authors, medical informatics experts, clinical content experts, and end-users to convert the written clinical practice guideline into a computable algorithm to generate patient-specific recommendations for care based upon existing information in the electronic medical record (EMR), and a set of clinical tools. Results The iterative revision process identified numerous and varied problems with the initially designed system despite diverse expert participation in the design process. The process of operationalizing the guideline identified areas in which the guideline was vague, left decisions to clinical judgment, or required clarification of detail to insure safe clinical implementation. The revisions led to workable solutions to problems, defined the limits of the DSS and its utility in clinical practice, improved integration into clinical workflow, and improved the clarity and accuracy of system recommendations and tools. Conclusions Use of this iterative process led to development of a multifunctional DSS that met the approval of the clinical practice guideline authors, content experts, and clinicians involved in testing. The process and experiences described provide a model for development of other DSSs that translate written guidelines into actionable, real-time clinical recommendations.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78267/1/1748-5908-5-26.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78267/2/1748-5908-5-26.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78267/3/1748-5908-5-26-S3.TIFFhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78267/4/1748-5908-5-26-S2.TIFFhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78267/5/1748-5908-5-26-S1.TIFFPeer Reviewe