CSR and staff retention in New Zealand companies: A literature review

This working paper examines the notion that there is a relationship between CSR and staff retention in organisations. Studies have shown that people are becoming more aware of business activities in many countries. As such, companies with good CSR policies are being rewarded by consumers and this is manifested in companies’ financial position in the long term. On the other hand, consumers will punish companies with poor CSR reputation. This review is illustrated through an analysis of literature on corporate social responsibility intended to advance that there is a relationship between CSR and staff retention in organisations. By translating the general principles of CSR into business practices, by developing better measures of CSR, and by empowering and engaging employees, businesses are more likely to embrace CSR so that it penetrates all business activities

“It only hurts when I laugh”: Tolerating bullying humour in order to belong at work

Our study examines the impacts on workers when organisational humour is repeated, sustained, dominating, and potentially harmful, and thus can be considered to be bullying. In an ethnographic study of an idiosyncratic New Zealand IT company, we observed humour that was sexualised, dominating, and perpetrated by the most powerful organizational members. We argue that the compelling need for belonging in this extreme organizational culture influenced workers to accept bullying humour as just a joke and therefore acceptable and harmless even when it contravened societal workplace norms. Our contribution is in identifying and extending the significant theoretical relationship between workplace humour and bullying that, to date, is not well-explored in organizational researc

Monitoring injury in the New Zealand adventure tourism sector: an operator survey

Background: Client safety is a major risk management concern for the commercial adventure tourism sector in New Zealand. This study built on previous exploratory analyses of New Zealand adventure tourism safety, including industry surveys conducted by these authors in 1999 and 2003. The aims of the study were to provide a continuation of injury monitoring across the sector through data collected from self-reported injury incidence by industry operators, and to compare findings with those from other primary and secondary research studies conducted by the authors. Method: A postal questionnaire was used to survey all identifiable New Zealand adventure tourism operators during 2006. The questionnaire asked respondents about their recorded client injury experience, perceptions of client injury risk factors, and safety management practices. Results: Some 21 adventure tourism activities were represented among the responding sample (n=127), with most operations being very small in terms of staff numbers, although responding operators catered for nearly one million clients in total annually. Highest ranked risk factors for client injury included clients not following instructions, level of client skill, ability and fitness, and changeable/unpredictable weather conditions. Highest client injury was reported for horse riding, eco-tourism and white water rafting sectors, although serious under-reporting of minor injuries was evidenced across the sector. Slips, trips and falls were the most frequently reported injury mechanism, while safety management measures were inconsistently applied across the sector. Conclusions: The industry should address reporting culture issues and safety management practices generally. Specifically, the industry should consider risk management that focuses on minor (e.g. falls) as well as catastrophic events

Towards sustainable tourism planning in New Zealand: monitoring local government planning under the Resource Management Act

In the light of the increasing pace and scale of tourism activity in New Zealand, the concept of sustainable tourism has become a key ingredient in the nation's tourism strategy. This paper explores sustainable tourism planning in New Zealand at the level of local government, and in particular, focuses on the implementation of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) as a mechanism for achieving sustainable tourism. Using the findings of a survey of Regional Councils and Territorial Local Authorities, the paper explores public sector planning responses to tourism impacts and sustainability concerns in New Zealand. The paper extends the earlier work of Page and Thorn (1997; 2002), which identified major issues of concern at local council level with regard to tourism impacts and argued the need for a national vision for tourism to ensure that the RMA achieved its original goals. Since then, a national tourism strategy has been published and changes in legislation have further empowered local authorities to further progress the sustainability agenda. This paper examines these developments and the ensuing implications, concluding that significant progress has been made in developing tourism policies at the local level, but that a number of constraints and issues limit the development of New Zealand as a sustainable destination

Epidemiological approaches to investigating causes of occupational falls

Epidemiological approaches to investigating causes of occupational fall

Psychosocial work environment, work engagement, and employee commitment: A moderated, mediation model

This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on the wellbeing of hospitality employees from a perspective of strategic human resource management. The role of high performance work systems (HPWS) in enhancing the affective commitment of hospitality employees is examined. The study found work engagement to mediate the relationships between HPWS, perceived organizational support, and affective commitment. Workplace bullying, a highly prevalent phenomenon in the hospitality sector, was found to mediate the relationship between HPWS and affective commitment, while psychosocial safety climate moderated this mediating impact. We will suggest the implications for managing psychosocial work hazards in hospitality organizations

Adventure Tourism and Adventure Sports Injury: the New Zealand experience

The primary aims of this study were to establish a client injury baseline for the New Zealand adventure tourism and adventure sport sector, and to examine patterns and trends in claims for injury during participation in adventure activities. Content analysis of narrative text data for compensated injuries occurring in a place for recreation and sport over a 12-month period produced over 15,000 cases involving adventure tourism and adventure sport. As found in previous studies in New Zealand, highest claims counts were observed for activities that are often undertaken independently, rather than commercially. Horse riding, tramping, surfing and mountain biking were found to have highest claims counts, while hang gliding/paragliding/parasailing and jet boating injuries had highest claims costs, suggesting greatest injury severity. Highest claims incidence was observed for horse riding, with female claimants over-represented for this activity. Younger male claimants comprised the largest proportion of adventure injuries, and falls were the most common injury mechanism

Fluid Intake and Hydration Status of Forest Workers -- A Preliminary Investigation

Dehydration and its milder form hypohydration have both short term and long term health effects. In the short term poor, body hydration impairs cognitive performance, physical strength and aerobic power, rendering the worker prone to injury and heat illness. In the long term the potential consequences of hypohydration are kidney stones and bladder cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate hydration status of forest workers in New Zealand and their preferred fluid replacement. The specific gravity (sg) of urine was used as an indicator of body fluid status. In addition daily fluid loss was compared with a tested algorithm of sweat rate to better understand if workers are hydrating at the desired rate. The results of this preliminary study clearly demonstrate that loggers are working at sub-optimal hydration levels and are consuming inappropriate fluids to replace sweat losses. The hypohydrated state of these workers may pose both an immediate and long term health and safety risk

The value of work for doctors in Pakistan: Towards a framework for ensuring decent work

The critical frontline work of doctors in Pakistan was overlooked and undervalued by the government, hospitals, and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Media reports and studies highlight that public sector doctors in Pakistan facing new societal, professional, and organisational challenges, compunding to the inherent demands of workpotentially leading to its undervaluation. This study, explores how the work of doctors is (under)valued in Pakistan’s public sector hospitals, and how this aligns to the underpinnings of decent work. 27 semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted with doctors in Pakistan’s public sector hospitals. We found that serving others, recognition and appreciation, and professional learning and development were valuable aspects, whileflaws in the healthcare system, issues from patients and public, poor work environment, a lack of essential health facilities, and physical and mental health challenges associated with work were considered factors which undervalue the work for doctors. Drawing on the intersect between the concept of decent work and psychology of working theory, we establish a value framework for decent work that aligns with its psychological and sociological dimensions. Based on the findings we offer policy and practice implications ensuring the provision of decent work to public sector doctors in Pakistan

Impact of leadership on unethical pro-organizational behavior: A systematic literature review and future research directions

Unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) has received growing attention from organizational scholars in recent years. As leadership is a key predictor of employee behavior in organizations, research focusing on leadership and UPB holds great potential for theoretical and practical advancements. The current paper presents a comprehensive systematic review of published research exploring leadership and UPB since 2010. The review not only situates the concept of UPB within the relevant literature, but also incorporates various analyses, including context, theoretical perspective, and research design. It also identifies the leadership-based independent variables, mediators, and moderators that impact UPB, which can help advance future theorizing in the field. Lastly, the paper offers suggestions for future research that can help in repositioning the field in order to build more reliable and valuable theoretical and practical policy recommendations