The role of HR practices in knowledge intensive self-managed organizations : from management centricity towards human centricity

Today, many organizations are seeking to organize their operations more flexible and human centric manner than before. Old hierarchical models of organizing are no longer applicable when knowledge intensive services form a core business for many organizations. The role of competent workforce is essential in these organizations, and the role of customer come more and more significant because of co-value creation. A relative new attempt of organizing, a self-managed organization (SMO), responds the call of finding more human centric and dynamic forms of organizing. SMOs operate normally without any middle management and believe in shared power and shared leadership. They form social systems with evolutionary purpose. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the role of HR practices in knowledge intensive SMOs. The conducted research involved five narratives written CEOs or HR directors working at knowledge intensive firms. Narrators told a story on how the middle management duties are handled and what is the role of HR practices at their workplaces. The research analysis was conducted by using narrative analysis and analysis of narratives. The content of written narratives was under analysis. Study results were presented in a form of grand narrative, in which the essence of the content of five texts was summarized. Thematic analysis was then arranged to explore the correlation between strategic wellbeing and used HR practices in studied SMOs. The study material was organized in narrative specific categories under given themes. The used theoretical SHRM framework was general yet with variety of aspects due to the importance of various factors that affect the role of HR practices in knowledge intensive SMOs. As a conclusion, SMOs provide a prosperous setting for HR practices to bring out the strategic and managerial power embedded in these practices. SMOs are managed by employees collectively and employees lean on dynamic structures that build on HR practices and processes created and modified by very employees. Employee agency power is guided by variety of principles, models, duties, patterns, recommendations and so on. Unlike in traditional organizations where true agency power is granted for few individuals, used HR practices in SMOs directly affect work agency and work energy of employees. However, strategic power embedded in these practices is not fully understood nor it is expanded to cover customer work. Employees also handle many HR duties. The ideal future model of SHRM in SMOs that highlights the agency power of employees and customers, and the importance of strategic wellbeing is presented in the chapter of conclusions. The other significant findings were few. Firstly, there is no organization that is fully self-managed, becoming a SMO is more of a journey. Secondly, having unified overall organizational structure with dynamic structures, HR practices and processes, together with static structures – various teams – is challenging. HR as whole has a traditional status, and a model of organizing a SMO by Laloux, a teal organization, is thus commonly exploited. Thirdly, the dominance of management centricity and culture of dominance is spread all over the world and is taken as a proper form of organizing supported by conducted SHRM research and legislation. Yet, their dominance is collapsing whereas the number of SMOs most likely multiplies in the future because of the promising outcomes.Nykyään useat yritykset haluavat järjestää toimintansa joustavammalla, tehokkaammalla ja ihmisläheisemmällä tavalla kuin ennen. Vanhat hierarkkiset organisointimallit eivät ole enää toimivia, kun tietotyöhön ja asiantuntijuuteen perustuvat palvelut muodostavat ydinliiketoiminnan useissa yrityksissä. Työvoiman rooli on keskeinen, ja asiakkaan toimijuuden merkitys lisääntyy, kun arvoa luodaan yhdessä. Uudehko organisoitumisen muoto, itseohjautuva organisaatio, vastaa liiketoimintaympäristöstä nousseeseen tarpeeseen ihmisläheisellä ja dynaamisella tavalla. Itseohjautuvissa organisaatioissa ei ole keskijohtoa. Nämä organisaatiot uskovat jaettuun valtaan ja johtajuuteen ja muodostavat sosiaalisia alati kehittyviä systeemejä. Tämän kvalitatiivisen tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli valottaa HR-käytäntöjen roolia näissä itseohjautuvissa organisaatioissa. Tutkimus pohjasi viiteen itseohjautuvassa organisaatiossa työskentelevän joko toimitusjohtajan tai HR-johtajan kirjoittamaan narratiiviin. Kertojat pohtivat tekstissään, miten heidän kotiorganisaatiossaan korvattiin keskijohdon monet tehtävät ja mikä oli HR-käytäntöjen rooli. Analysoinnissa keskeistä oli narratiivien sisältö. Sisällöstä muodostettiin yksi yhteinen viiden tekstin keskeiseen sisältöön perustuva narratiivi. Lisäksi sisältöä analysoitiin ennalta muodostettujen strategiseen työhyvinvointiin linkittyvien teemojen mukaisesti. Teoreettinen strategiseen henkilöstöjohtamiseen keskittyvä viitekehys oli yleisluontoinen mutta laaja-alainen tutkittavaan ilmiöön liittyvien monien tekijöiden takia. Tutkimuksen mukaan ohjausvoima, joka HR-käytännöissä piilee, pääsee oikeuksiinsa itseohjautuvissa organisaatioissa. Työntekijät yhdessä ovat määräävässä asemassa itseohjautuvissa organisaatioissa, ja heidän toimintaansa ohjaavat dynaamiset rakenteet, yhteiset käytännöt, joita he itse luovat ja päivittävät. Työntekijän toimijuutta ohjaa monet periaatteet, mallit, toimintatavat, vastuut, suositukset jne. Toisin kuin hierarkkisissa johtajakeskeisissä organisaatioissa, joissa todellinen toimivalta on muutamilla, HR-käytännöt vaikuttavat siis välittömästi työntekijöiden energiaan ja toimijuuteen. HR-käytäntöjen strategista arvoa ei kuitenkaan täysin ymmärretä varsinkaan asiakastyössä. Työntekijät vastaavat myös HR-tehtävistä. Tutkielman johtopäätöksiä käsittelevässä luvussa esitetään strategisen henkilöstöjohtamisen ideaalinen malli itseohjautuvissa organisaatioissa. Mallissa korostuu asiakkaan ja työntekijän toimijuus ja strategisen hyvinvoinnin keskeinen rooli. Muita tärkeitä huomioita oli muutamia. Ensinnäkin mikään organisaatio ei ole täysin itseohjautuva, vaan itseorganisoituvaksi organisaatioksi tuleminen on taival. Toiseksi niin dynaamisten rakenteiden – HR-käytäntöjen toimivan kokonaisuuden – kuin mahdollistavien rakenteiden – erilaisten tiimien ja kokoonpanojen – yhdistäminen aiheuttaa haasteita itseohjautuvissa organisaatioissa. HR toimintona nähdään perinteisenä, ja Laloux’n teal-organisaatiomallia käytetään usein mallina organisoitumisessa. Kolmanneksi johtajakeskeisyys ja rationaalisuuden kulttuuri ovat itsestäänselvyyksiä, joita myös lainsäädäntö ja tehty tutkimus ovat ylläpitäneet. Niiden valta-asema on kuitenkin heikentymässä, kun taas lupaavien tulosten vuoksi itseohjautuvien organisaatioiden määrä tullee lisääntymään tulevaisuudessa

Deepwater and Other Sharks of the U.S. Atlantic Ocean Exclusive Economic Zone

Fifty-one deepwater and other shark species of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, which currently are not included in any Federal fishery management plan, are described, with a focus on primary distribution. Many of these shark species are not well known, while others which are more common may be of particular interest. Owing to concerns regarding possible increases in fishing effort for some of these species, as well as possible increases in bycatch rates as other fisheries move farther offshore, it is important that these sharks be considered in marine ecosystem management efforts. This will necessitate a better understanding of their biology and distribution. Primary distribution maps are included, based on geographic information system (GIS) analyses of both published and unpublished data, and a review of the literature. The most recent systematic classification and nomenclature for these species is used

Nutrient load can lead to enhanced CH4 fluxes through changes in vegetation, peat surface elevation and water table depth in ombrotrophic bog

EGU2016-12050201

Long-term nutrient addition increased CH4 emission from a bog through direct and indirect effects

Peatlands are globally significant sources of atmospheric methane (CH4). While several studies have examined the effects of nutrient addition on CH4 dynamics, there are few long-term peatland fertilization experiments, which are needed to understand the aggregated effects of nutrient deposition on ecosystem functioning. We investigated responses of CH4 flux and production to long-term field treatments with three levels of N (1.6-6.4 g m(-2) yr(-1) as NH4NO3), potassium and phosphorus (PK, 5.0 g P and 6.3 g K m(-2) yr(-1) as KH2PO4), and NPK in a temperate bog. Methane fluxes were measured in the field from May to August in 2005 and 2015. In 2015 CH4 flux was higher in the NPK treatment with 16 years of 6.4 g N m(-2) yr(-1) than in the control (50.5 vs. 8.6 mg CH4 m(-2) d(-1)). The increase in CH4 flux was associated with wetter conditions derived from peat subsidence. Incubation of peat samples, with and without short-term PK amendment, showed that potential CH4 production was enhanced in the PK treatments, both from field application and by amending the incubation. We suggest that changes in this bog ecosystem originate from long-term vegetation change, increased decomposition and direct nutrient effects on microbial dynamics.Peer reviewe

Knowledge and attitude of community nurses on pressure injury prevention : a cross‐sectional study in an Indonesian city

The objectives of this study were to examine the knowledge and attitude of Indonesian community nurses regarding Pressure Injury (PI) prevention. A cross-sectional design was used and included the community nurses permanently working in the Public Health Center (Puskemas) in Bandung, West Java Indonesia. Knowledge was measured using the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool (PUKAT 2.0). Attitudes were measured using a predesigned instrument which included 11 statements on a five point Likert scale. All data were collected using paper-based questionnaires. The response rate was 100%. Respondents (n = 235) consisted of 80 community nursing program coordinators (34.0%) and 155 community nurses (66.0%). Regarding knowledge, the percentage of correct answers in the total group of community nurses on the PUKAT 2.0 was 30.7%. The theme "Prevention" had the lowest percentage of correct answers (20.8%). Community nurses who had additional PI or wound care training had a higher knowledge score compared with community nurses who did not have additional PI training (33.7% vs 30.3%; Z = -1.995; P = 0.046). The median attitude score was 44 (maximum score 55; range 28-55), demonstrating a positive attitude among participants towards PI prevention. Further, the higher the education status of participants, the more positive the attitudes (H = 11.773; P = 0.003). This study shows that community nurses need to improve their basic knowledge of PI prevention. Furthermore, research should be performed to explore what community nurses need to strengthen their role in PI prevention

Effects of experimental nitrogen deposition on peatland carbon pools and fluxes: a modeling analysis

Nitrogen (N) pollution of peatlands alters their carbon (C) balances, yet long-term effects and controls are poorly understood. We applied the model PEATBOG to explore impacts of long-term nitrogen (N) fertilization on C cycling in an ombrotrophic bog. Simulations of summer gross ecosystem production (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) were evaluated against 8 years of observations and extrapolated for 80 years to identify potential effects of N fertilization and factors influencing model behaviour. The model successfully simulated moss decline and raised GEP, ER and NEE on fertilized plots. GEP was systematically overestimated in the model compared to the field data due to factors that can be related to differences in vegetation distribution (e.g. shrubs vs. graminoid vegetation) and to high tolerance of vascular plants to N deposition in the model. Model performance regarding the 8-year response of GEP and NEE to N input was improved by introducing an N content threshold shifting the response of photosynthetic capacity (GEPmax) to N content in shrubs and graminoids from positive to negative at high N contents. Such changes also eliminated the competitive advantages of vascular species and led to resilience of mosses in the long-term. Regardless of the large changes of C fluxes over the short-term, the simulated GEP, ER and NEE after 80 years depended on whether a graminoid- or shrub-dominated system evolved. When the peatland remained shrub–Sphagnum-dominated, it shifted to a C source after only 10 years of fertilization at 6.4 g N m−2 yr−1, whereas this was not the case when it became graminoid-dominated. The modelling results thus highlight the importance of ecosystem adaptation and reaction of plant functional types to N deposition, when predicting the future C balance of N-polluted cool temperate bogs.Peer reviewe

Adaptive working memory training reduces the negative impact of anxiety on competitive motor performance

Optimum levels of attentional control are essential to prevent athletes from experiencing performance breakdowns under pressure. The current study explored whether training attentional control using the adaptive dual n-back paradigm, designed to directly target processing efficiency of the main executive functions of working memory (WM), would result in transferrable effects on sports performance outcomes. A total of 30 tennis players were allocated to an adaptive WM training or active control group and underwent 10 days of training. Measures of WM capacity as well as performance and objective gaze indices of attentional control in a tennis volley task were assessed in low- and high-pressure posttraining conditions. Results revealed significant benefits of training on WM capacity, quiet eye offset, and tennis performance in the high-pressure condition. Our results confirm and extend previous findings supporting the transfer of cognitive training benefits to objective measures of sports performance under pressure

Post-Covid-19 Syndrome: Improvements in Health-Related Quality of Life Following Psychology-Led Interdisciplinary Virtual Rehabilitation.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is increasingly recognized as having significant long-term impact on physical and mental health. The Primary Care Wellbeing Service (PCWBS) in Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT) is a psychology-led specialist interdisciplinary team of health professionals specializing in persistent physical symptoms (PPS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) with an emphasis on holistic integrated care. The PCWBS quickly recognized the risk of the long-term effects of COVID-19, particularly for social, health and care staff, and developed a 7-week virtual rehabilitation course which was piloted in October 2020. The “Recovering from COVID” course takes a whole system, biopsychosocial approach to understanding COVID-19 and post-viral fatigue (PVF) and is delivered by an interdisciplinary team consisting of a clinical psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, speech and language therapist, assistant psychologist, and a personal support navigator with support from a team administrator. The course focuses on understanding PVF, sleep optimization, nutrition, swallowing, activity management, energy conservation, stress management, breathing optimization, managing setbacks, and signposting to appropriate resources and services. Since the pilot, PCWBS has delivered 7 courses to support over 200 people suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome. One hundred and forty-nine individuals that enrolled on the “Recovering from COVID” course completed the EQ-5D-5L to assess Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) across 5 dimensions, including problems with mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Subsequently, 76 individuals completed these measures at the end of the rehabilitation course showing that patient ratings were significantly improved. In response to the NIHR recommendation for rapid evaluation of different service models for supporting people with post-COVID-19 syndrome, this data offers hope that rehabilitation is effective in reversing some of the problems faced by people living with the long-term effects of COVID-19

In the Beginning: The First Sources of Light and the Reionization of the Universe

The formation of the first stars and quasars marks the transformation of the universe from its smooth initial state to its clumpy current state. In popular cosmological models, the first sources of light began to form at redshift 30 and reionized most of the hydrogen in the universe by redshift 7. Current observations are at the threshold of probing the hydrogen reionization epoch. The study of high-redshift sources is likely to attract major attention in observational and theoretical cosmology over the next decade.Comment: Final revision: 136 pages, including 42 figures; to be published in Physics Reports 2001. References updated, and a few minor corrections made. In this submission, several figures were compressed, resulting in just a slight reduction in quality; a postscript file with the full figures is available at http://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~barkana/review.htm