E-HR and employee self-service in a British public sector organisation: an exploratory analysis

The purpose of the paper is to present empirical research on the use of an Employee Self-Service (ESS) system in a British public sector work organization, and issues associated with its introduction. A case study approach, detailing interviews with managers and employees is used. Content analysis and selective coding are employed to analyze data. Results indicate that management and employee perceptions of using ESS differ, and challenges arise in ESS implementation, including: the relevant HR role; cultural/emotional adjustments needed from staff; and those associated with appropriate organizational development/change and project organization/management. The limitations of this study include interviews with a small number of staff, which limits the generalizatility of results. Practical implications and recommendations are provided, namely HR staff need to build a coherent approach regarding ESS implementation. The value of the paper is that it represents new empirical data on ESS in practice, and a critical appraisal of it from remote home workers. Moreover, it contributes to research via contrasting findings with the prescriptive/descriptive consultancy-led literature

Three of a kind: how young adults engage with print, online and mobile platforms

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on September 18, 2012).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Thesis advisor: Dr. Amanda HinnantIncludes bibliographical references.M.A. University of Missouri--Columbia 2012."May 2012"Mobile devices, Internet websites and print newspapers and magazines supply a veritable feast of options for finding and reading editorial content. Like any meal, however, readers can only consume so much in any given day. Through the combined constructs of uses and gratifications theory and the technology acceptance model, this study examined why focus group participants engaged with one platform versus another, the extent to which social gratifications existed for print products and how gratifications obtained from print, online and mobile media compared to the technology acceptance model factors. Findings showed that focus group respondents preferred to read print but actually engaged the most with online content. No manifest social gratifications appeared for print products on a personal level, but people in this study held a sense of social awareness when talking about reading printed products versus mobile products in a public space. Finally, navigation, distraction, media brand reputation and the personal curation of online content sharing connected with technology acceptance model factors. The study concluded that print, online and mobile platforms can be thought of in some senses as exhibiting a three-of-a-kind existence for reader engagement

State-of-the-art and future directions for green human resource management: introduction to the special issue

The topic of environmental sustainability is generating increased concern among business executives, governments, consumers, and management scholars. As these stakeholders struggle with the challenges and opportunities presented by an array of environmental issues, HRM scholars and practitioners alike have been relatively slow to engage in the ongoing discussions and debates. Through this special issue on Green HRM, we seek to stimulate the field of HRM to expand its role in the pursuit of environmentally sustainable business. In this introduction to the special issue, we first provide an overview of the articles that appear in the special issue. Next we present a detailed discussion of research questions that arise from a consideration of several functional HRM practices, including performance management; training, development, and learning; compensation and rewards; and organizational culture. We conclude by describing opportunities for research at the intersection of strategic HRM and environmental management. If pursued with vigor, research addressing this extensive agenda could begin to establish a healthy field of Green HRM scholarship

Reflections on the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), research methodology, and the case for reform

In this paper I, first, provide an empirical case study of preparations for the forthcoming Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) as a lived experience from the viewpoint of a researcher in Human Resource Management (HRM) at a quality management research department. Second, I surface some issues involved in research methodology that arise from these preparations, namely on the nature of reality (what is seen as ‘quality’ research in HRM), relationships between the knower and known (the role of personal bias and gatekeepers in the process), and the role of values (as a determinant of both research quality and personal bias). Lastly, I make a case for reform of how research quality is both defined and assessed by stakeholders in HRM in future (in terms of validity and reliability). This includes the need for greater transparency, clear criteria of assessment, and the inclusion of all people management stakeholders in the assessment process. (BAM-10151)

Disentangling Climate and Disturbance Effects on Regional Vegetation Greening Trends

Productivity of northern latitude forests is an important driver of the terrestrial carbon cycle and is already responding to climate change. Studies ofthe satellite-derived Normalized Difference VegetationIndex (NDVI) for northern latitudes indicate recent changes in plant productivity. These detected greening and browning trends are often attributedto a lengthening of the growing season from warming temperatures. Yet, disturbance-recovery dynamics are strong drivers of productivity and can mask direct effects of climate change. Here, we analyze 1-km resolution NDVI data from 1989to 2014 for the northern latitude forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for changes in plant productivity to address the following questions:(1) To what degree has greening taken place in the GYE over the past three decades? and (2) What is the relative importance of disturbance and climate in explaining NDVI trends? We found that the spatial extents of statistically significant productivity trends were limited to local greening and browning areas. Disturbance history, predominately fire disturbance, was a major driver of these detected NDVI trends. After accounting for fire-,insect-, and human-caused disturbances, increasing productivity trends remained. Productivity of northern latitude forests is generally considered temperature-limited; yet, we found that precipitation was a key driver of greening in the GYE

What factors affect patients’ access to healthcare? Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews

Background The importance of access to healthcare for all is internationally recognised as a global goal, high on the global agenda. Yet inequalities in health exist within and between countries which are exacerbated by inequalities in access to healthcare. In order to address these inequalities, we need to better understand what drives them. While there exists a wealth of research on access to healthcare in different countries and contexts, and for different patient groups, to date no attempt has been made to bring this evidence together through a global lens. This study aims to address that gap by bringing together evidence of what factors affect patients’ access to healthcare and exploring how those factors vary in different countries and contexts around the world. Methods An overview of reviews will be conducted using a comprehensive search strategy to search four databases: Medline, Embase, Global Health and Cochrane Systematic Reviews. Additional searches will be conducted on the Gates Foundation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank websites. Titles and abstracts will be screened against the eligibility criteria and full-text articles will be obtained for all records that meet the inclusion criteria or where there is uncertainty around eligibility. A data extraction table will be developed during the review process and will be piloted and refined before full data extraction commences. Methodological quality/risk of bias will be assessed for each included study using the AMSTAR 2 tool. The quality assessment will be used to inform the narrative synthesis, but a low-quality score will not necessarily lead to study exclusion. Discussion Factors affecting patients’ ability to access healthcare will be identified and analysed according to different country and context characteristics to shed light on the importance of different factors in different settings. Results will be interpreted accounting for the usual challenges associated with conducting such reviews. The results may guide future research in this area and contribute to priority setting for development initiatives aimed at ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all

The effect of 14 weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation on antimicrobial peptides and proteins in athletes

Heavy training is associated with increased respiratory infection risk and antimicrobial proteins are important in defence against oral and respiratory tract infections. We examined the effect of 14 weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation (5000 IU/day) on the resting plasma cathelicidin concentration and the salivary secretion rates of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), cathelicidin, lactoferrin and lysozyme in athletes during a winter training period. Blood and saliva were obtained at the start of the study from 39 healthy men who were randomly allocated to vitamin D3 supplement or placebo. Blood samples were also collected at the end of the study; saliva samples were collected after 7 and 14 weeks. Plasma total 25(OH)D concentration increased by 130% in the vitamin D3 group and decreased by 43% in the placebo group (both P=0.001). The percentage change of plasma cathelicidin concentration in the vitamin D3 group was higher than in the placebo group (P=0.025). Only in the vitamin D3 group, the saliva SIgA and cathelicidin secretion rates increased over time (both P=0.03). A daily 5000 IU vitamin D3 supplement has a beneficial effect in up-regulating the expression of SIgA and cathelicidin in athletes during a winter training period which could improve resistance to respiratory infections