How does technology influence knowledge sharing and application among team members?

Knowledge along with the human resource is the most valued asset of a company. Knowledge management has received much interested by researchers since it is a determinant key to perform efficiently. Due to society’s evolution, namely technological tools, on personal and professional routines, literature has improved in that sense and concluded that it can raise knowledge sharing facilitating the way employees work as well as the access to information, improving the performance. However, it is not known much about the interaction of this variables on team level. In this study, we explored how technology influence team performance through knowledge sharing and application considering sense making leadership, meaning, how the relationship above works if there was a promotion of discussion among team members. We tested our model in a sample of 54 teams (210 individuals). The results showed that there is a significant relationship between technology and knowledge sharing and hence team performance. Knowledge application does not have a direct implication, despite its indirectly impact on team’s performance. As a moderator, sense making leadership has a crucial role in the relationships described above in a way that can work as a substitute of technology, enhancing knowledge sharing and application when IT tools are not available. Therefore, regarding practical implications of this study, since society is continuously improving being more technological over time, it is important to organizations to keep the investment on it, never forgetting the way it is managed into teams.O conhecimento em paralelo com os recursos humanos são o maior ativo numa empresa. A gestão do conhecimento tem recebido a atenção dos investigadores, dado que poderá ser a chave para um desempenho eficiente. Tendo a tecnologia sofrido uma considerável evolução, a nível pessoal e profissional, a literatura tem acompanhado este progresso e concluiu que a partilha do conhecimento é proporcionada pela tecnologia disponibilizada, que facilitará o método de trabalho e o acesso à informação melhorando o desempenho. Contudo, ao nível da equipa, estas dinâmicas não têm sido aprofundadas. Ao longo do trabalho, o modelo explorado permite averiguar de que forma a tecnologia influencia o desempenho da equipa através da partilha e aplicação do conhecimento, tendo em conta a promoção da discussão das variadas situações na equipa. O modelo foi testado numa amostra de 54 equipas (210 trabalhadores). Os resultados revelaram uma relação significativa entre a tecnologia e a partilha do conhecimento e, consequentemente, no desempenho da equipa. A aplicação do conhecimento tem um impacto indireto no desempenho da mesma. A promoção de sense making pelo líder tem um papel fundamental nas relações acima descritas, na medida em que funcionará como substituto da tecnologia, promovendo a transferência e uso do conhecimento quando este tipo de recurso não está disponível. Cada vez mais, a tecnologia faz parte das rotinas da sociedade, pelo que, é importante que as empresas continuem a investir nesta área, nunca esquecendo de que é importante o modo como é utilizada e gerida ao nível das equipas

Quality of working life of academics and researchers in the UK: the roles of contract type, tenure and university ranking

Quality of Working Life has been defined as the part of overall quality of life that is influenced by work. We developed a mediation model where home-work interface, job and career satisfaction, control at work, and working conditions are considered to be positively related to employee commitment and to the absence of stress at work. These two variables were ultimately related to general well-being. We considered possible differences between workers with different contract types (permanent vs. temporary), as well as the roles of tenure and average position of the University in the UK rankings. Quantitative survey data from 510 academics and researchers working in 8 British Universities were analysed via a multi-group analysis with structural equation modelling (SEM). Our model presented a good fit, and a bootstrapping analysis confirmed the significance of indirect effects. Significant differences were found between permanent and temporary workers and striking results were found regarding tenure

Overtime and quality of working life in academics and non-academics: the role of perceived work-life balance

While academic jobs generally provide a good degree of flexibility, academics also tend to work extra hours which can then lead to a poorer work-life balance. In this study, we compare academic vs. non-academic staff and anticipate that academics will generally report a poorer Quality of Working Life, a broad conceptualization of the overall work experience of employees. Secondly, we investigate whether the negative relationships between being an academic and Quality of Working Life variables are made worse by working extra hours, and moderated by the perception of having a balanced work-life interface. Our sample consisted of 1474 academic and 1953 non-academic staff working for nine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom (UK). Data were analyzed via structural equation modelling. Results showed that academics tend to report a poorer Quality of Working Life than non-academics within HEIs, and this is exacerbated by their higher reported number of extra hours worked per week. The work-life balance of employees was found to moderate the negative relationships between academics (vs. non-academics) in variables such as perceived working conditions and employee commitment. We additionally found curvilinear relationships where employees who worked up to 10 extra hours were more satisfied with their job and career and had more control at work than those who either did not work extra hours or worked for a higher number of extra hours. These results extend previous research and provide new insights on work-life balance among academics and non-academics, which in turn may be relevant for the wellbeing practices of HEIs and wider HE policy making

Contingências do trabalho contingente : contratos psicológicos, atractividade do cliente, insegurança no trabalho e empregabilidade

Tese de mestrado integrado em Psicologia (Psicologia dos Recursos Humanos do Trabalho e das Organizações), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, 2008Assumindo como enquadramento teórico basilar a literatura no âmbito do Contrato Psicológico, o presente estudo debruça-se sobre as relações tripartidas de emprego contingente, as quais envolvem o colaborador contingente, a agência empregadora e a organização cliente, na qual este colaborador desempenha as suas funções. A presente investigação visa explorar, empiricamente, o contrato psicológico dos colaboradores contingentes, partindo da premissa de que a percepção de cumprimento das obrigações da agência é influenciada pela percepção de cumprimento das obrigações do cliente, pela atractividade deste mesmo cliente, pela insegurança no trabalho e pela empregabilidade. As hipóteses colocadas foram testadas com base em questionários respondidos por colaboradores de quatro agências, localizadas em Portugal. A amostra abrangia oitenta e oito colaboradores diferenciados que trabalhavam em organizações clientes, cujas actividades se enquadravam no sector financeiro e no sector das tecnologias de informação. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a percepção de cumprimento das obrigações da agência é influenciada positivamente pela percepção de cumprimento das obrigações do cliente. A segunda hipótese apresentada não foi corroborada, na medida em que não se verificou uma influência significativa por parte da atractividade da organização cliente, na percepção de cumprimento das obrigações da agência. Adicionalmente, os resultados demonstraram que a percepção de cumprimento das obrigações da agência é influenciada negativamente pela percepção de insegurança no trabalho, o que suporta a terceira hipótese em análise. No que concerne à quarta hipótese, os resultados não a suportaram, não se constatando uma influência significativa da percepção de empregabilidade, na percepção de cumprimento das obrigações da agência. Numa secção final, os resultados mencionados são discutidos, sendo apresentadas as implDrawing on psychological contract literature, the present study examines the emerging contingent employment relationships, which involve the contingent employee, the employing agency and the client organization on whose premises the contingent employee works. This investigation will empirically explore the psychological contracts of contingent employees, anticipating that the perceived fulfilment of agency's obligations is influenced by the perceived fulfilment of client's obligations, by client organization attractiveness, by job insecurity and by employability. We tested our hypotheses using a survey collected from employees working in four Portuguese agencies. The sample included eighty-eight white-collared employees, working for client organizations in the financial and information technologies sectors. The results suggest that the perceived fulfilment of agency's obligations is positively influenced by the perceived fulfilment of client organization's obligations. Our second hypothesis was not supported by the results, meaning that perceived client organization attractiveness did not significantly influence the perceived fulfilment of agency's obligations. Furthermore, as expected, we found that the fulfilment of agency's perceived obligations is negatively influenced by the perception of job insecurity. Concerning our fourth hypothesis, it was not supported by the results, meaning that the perceived fulfilment of agency's obligations is not influenced by the perception of employability. In a final section, the obtained results are discussed and their possible implications on human resource practices for contingent employees are presented. There will also be suggested some new paths for future investigations

Balancing health and work: employees demand more flexibility in when, where, and how they work

In an era defined by ceaseless innovation and societal change, the norms that once defined the world’s work experience are under significant scrutiny. Employees are challenging the traditional 9-to-5 work structure, advocating for a more fluid approach to their professional lives. Bolstered by technological advancements and prompted by recent global events, an increasing number of workers are demanding flexibility in when they work, where they work from, and how they work. Employee demands for flexibility are more prevalent for those in jobs that can fully or partially be done remotely. There is a large diversity in employers’ views regarding whether or not to implement or keep flexible working practices

The impact of journal re-grading on perception of ranking systems: exploring the case of the academic journal guide and business and management scholars in the UK

The marked increase in the use of metrics, such as journal lists, to assess research has had a profound effect on academics’ working lives. While some view the diffusion of rankings as beneficial, others consider their diffusion as a malicious development, which further acerbates a tendency towards managerialism in academia, and undermine the integrity and diversity of academic research. Using data from a large-scale survey and a re-grading of journals in a ranking used by Business and Management UK scholars - the Academic Journal Guide (AJG) - as a pseudo-experiment, we examine what determines negative and positive perceptions of rankings. We find that the individuals who published in outlets that were upgraded were less hostile to the ranking than those who did not benefit from these changes, and that individuals were also less hostile to the ranking if outlets in their field had benefited from re-grading in the new list. We also find that the individuals who published in outlets that were upgraded were more positive to the ranking than those who did not benefit from these changes, and that individuals were also more positive to the ranking if outlets in their field had benefited from re-grading in the new list

Varieties of flexibilisation? The working lives of information and communications technology professionals in the UK and Germany

One feature of ‘flexibilisation’ concerns the growth of more individualised employment arrangements and career trajectories less connected to employing organisations. Informed by the Varieties of Capitalism approach, which emphasises the embeddedness of employment practices within discrete types of capitalist market economy, and based on rich qualitative data from interviews with 32 self-employed and directly-employed ICT professionals in the UK and Germany, we investigate comparative variation in their experience of flexibilisation. The research findings indicate some commonality, particularly in respect of perceptions of independence, but also highlight notable differences with regard to work pressures and insecurity. The paper advances theory by characterising two discrete varieties of flexibilisation, a ‘liberalised’ form evident in the UK, and a more ‘regulated’ type apparent in Germany, contributing to a better understanding of comparative differences in flexibilisation

The dynamics of workplace relationships among expatriates and host country nationals in international development organisations

Purpose- This paper aims to explore the dynamics of workplace relationships between expatriates and host country nationals (HCNs) in International Development Organisations (IDOs) through the lens of the social comparison theory. These relationships are likely influenced by the way HRM practices are implemented among individuals from both groups. Design/methodology/approach- We used an inductive approach and analysed qualitative data from ten expatriates and twenty host country nationals employed by five IDOs in Nigeria, a risk-prone context. Findings- Our findings demonstrate that both expatriates and HCNs perceive that the HRM practices implemented by IDOs are more favourable to expatriates. This leads to further social comparisons between members of both groups, affecting their workplace interactions. Practical Implications- The way expatriates and HCNs perceive and act towards these differential practices matters for the operations of IDOs. As such, we recommend that IDO management may consider acknowledging diversity in their workforce, enact inclusive practices, and make deliberate investments on learning opportunities and maximise the continued investments in expatriate use. Originality/Value- This study contributes to expatriation literature by clarifying the extent to which the enactment of differential HRM practices in a risk-prone context can exacerbate upward social comparisons and significantly influence working relationships. We explore this outside the context of multinational enterprises, focusing on IDOs that play a valuable role in local societies

Hybrid sol-gel coatings: smart and green materials for corrosion mitigation

Corrosion degradation of materials and metallic structures is one of the major issues that give rise to depreciation of assets, causing great financial outlays in their recovery and or prevention. Therefore, the development of active corrosion protection systems for metallic substrates is an issue of prime importance. The promising properties and wide application range of hybrid sol-gel-derived polymers have attracted significant attention over recent decades. The combination of organic polymers and inorganic materials in a single phase provides exceptional possibilities to tailor electrical, optical, anticorrosive, and mechanical properties for diverse applications. This unlimited design concept has led to the development of hybrid coatings for several applications, such as transparent plastics, glasses, and metals to prevent these substrates from permeation, mechanical abrasion, and corrosion, or even for decorative functions. Nevertheless, the development of new hybrid products requires a basic understanding of the fundamental chemistry, as well as of the parameters that influence the processing techniques, which will briefly be discussed. Additionally, this review will also summarize and discuss the most promising sol-gel coatings for corrosion protection of steel, aluminium, and their alloys conducted at an academic level.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio