Honesty and genuine happiness:Or why soft healers make stinking wounds (Dutch proverb)

Genuine happiness is impossible without authentic concern for and corresponding behaviour towards the well-being of others. Such an incorporation of others into the self refers to a “democratic self” and the related regard for the common good. The author argues that the honesty of professionals who work in or for an educational or vocational setting is vital for the good of the individual and the common good. By introducing “democratic selves”, recent advancements in Dialogical Self Theory (DST) point to an inclusion of the common good. However, given the importance of virtues for one’s own and the common good, the theory and its applications are in need of integrating virtues and in particular honesty

Perceived distributive justice and Leader-Member Exchange: an exploration among Dutch and Polish (agency) workers

We compare the distributive justice perceptions of agency workers and permanent staff concerning different aspects of HRM. Moreover, we investigate if the supervisor-subordinate relationship quality (Leader-Member Exchange, LMX) influences the relationship between the contract status and distributive justice perceptions. We conducted semi-structured interviews in three Dutch logistics companies and distributed questionnaires among workers performing low-skilled jobs. Results show that a direct relationship between contract status and distributive justice perceptions remains when testing the mediator effect of LMX. Contract status seems partly to determine perceived LMX and, consequently, perceived distributive justice. However, the differences in perceived justice concerning voice, participation and pay between the worker groups change when individual workers perceive high-quality LMX. Thus, not only between group differences might be relevant, but also within group differences.Wir vergleichen die wahrgenommene Verteilungsgerechtigkeit bei Festangestellten und Leiharbeitnehmern hinsichtlich verschiedener Aspekte des HRM. Es wird untersucht, ob die Qualität der Vorgesetzten-Mitarbeiter-Beziehung (Leader-Member Exchange, LMX) die Beziehung zwischen Vertragsstatus und wahrgenommener Verteilungsgerechtigkeit wie vermutet beeinflusst. Wir haben teilstrukturierte Interviews in drei niederländischen Logistikunternehmen erhoben und Arbeitskräfte in gering qualifizierter Beschäftigung mit einem Fragebogen befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Beziehung zwischen Vertragsstatus und wahrgenommener Verteilungsgerechtigkeit beim Test des Mediator-Effekts von LMX bestehen bleibt. Der Vertragsstatus scheint die Wahrnehmung des LMX und folglich das Gerechtigkeitsempfinden (teilweise) zu determinieren. Es ändern sich die Unterschiede im Gerechtigkeitsgefühl hinsichtlich der Mitsprache, der Mitbestimmung und des Gehalts zwischen den Gruppen, wenn individuelle Arbeitskräfte eine hohe LMX Qualität wahrnehmen. D.h. es sind Unterschiede zwischen Gruppen und auch innerhalb von Gruppen zu beachten

Having Two Bosses; Considering the Relationships between LMX, Satisfaction with HR Practices, and Organizational Commitment

The current study went beyond previous research on leader-member exchange (LMX) by examining employees who are supervised by more than one boss. Using data from 122 PhDs from a Dutch university, the current study had three research objectives. First, to examine the effects of PhDs' LMX with both their promoter and their assistant promoter on affective organizational commitment (AOC). Second, to examine the mediating role of satisfaction with HR practices in the two LMX - AOC relationships. Since the promoter as the higher level boss has more influence on different HR practices the third objective was to examine whether the LMX - AOC relationship is stronger for the promoter than for the assistant promoter. The results showed that both promoter LMX and LMX assistant promoter were positively related to PhDs’ AOC, and both relationships were fully mediated by PhDs’ satisfaction with HR practices. As expected, these effects were significantly stronger for the promoter than for the assistant promoter

Ordinary Atypical Workers, Participation within the Firm and Innovation: A Theoretical Endeavor and Empirical Outlook

This paper offers a theoretical exploration and empirical outlook towards a triptych heretofore not properly investigated: atypical work (e.g., self-employed, agency workers, and workers with a fixed-term contract), participation within the firm, and innovation. How, it must be asked, can and will atypical workers contribute to innovation through participation within the firm or, from another angle, how can participation within the firm contribute to atypical workers willingness to express innovative behavior?\ud For the answer researchers have to learn far more about two distinct groups of\ud atypical workers: 'external knowledge workers'who are highly educated and explicitly hired for innovation, and 'ordinary atypical workers' who are neither highly educated nor hired for innovational purposes. For two reasons, the focus here is on the latter: we (1) presume and show, in contrast to what many scholars assume, that ordinary atypical workers can contribute to innovation in a direct and positive way, and (2) argue that participation within the firm is the key for these workers potential contribution to innovation

Understanding Worker Participation and Organizational Performance at the Firm Level: In Search for an Integrated Model

Last decades scholars in the field of human resource management (HRM) have intensely examined the contribution of HRM to organizational performance. Despite their efforts, at least one major research shortcoming can be identified. In general, they have devoted far too little attention to an aspect of HRM potentially beneficial for organizational performance: worker participation, and especially its indirect or representative forms. In contrast, for academics embedded in the industrial relations tradition, worker participation is a prominent theme, even though less emphasized in its relationship with company objectives. One might defend traditional scholars' reservations by arguing that participations main goal concerns workplace democratization and not organizational prosperity. However, several writers state that industrial democracy involving worker participation can channel conflicts of interest between employees and employers and stimulate desired employee attitudes and behavior, consequently enhancing organizational performance (e.g., Gollan, 2006; Ramsay, 1991; Taras & Kaufman, 1999). And, indeed, several studies have shown positive effects of both direct participation (e.g., European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1997) and indirect participation (e.g., Addison et al., 2000, 2003; Frick & Möller, 2003) on organizational performance.\ud \ud Nevertheless, to date, the absence of an integrated model explaining the connection between worker participation and organizational performance leads to the following question that still is in need of an answer: how do direct and indirect forms of participation – separate as well as in combination – affect organizational performance? This chapter aims to contribute to the filling of the aforementioned knowledge gaps. In so doing, we focus on direct and indirect, nonunion participation on the firm level, using a Western European and especially Dutch frame of reference\u

Antecedents of perceived intra- and extra-organisational alternatives. The case of low-educated supermarket employees in Czech Republic, Poland and Slovak Republic

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore antecedents of perceived intra‐ and extra‐organisational alternatives among employees in the Czech Republic, Poland and the Slovak Republic. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 9,068 low‐educated supermarket employees at 360 supermarkets. LISREL analysis was employed. Findings: Age, job autonomy and organisation size predict both forms of perceived alternatives. Tenure appears to influence both forms of perceived alternatives positively. Job challenge and sex only predict perceived extra‐organisational alternatives. Unexpectedly, despite relatively high unemployment rates, the respondents perceive extra‐organisational alternatives. Research limitations/implications: Some of the antecedents of perceived alternatives identified in research among workers in Western societies seem to have a different or no impact on the perceived alternatives of employees in these countries. The study comprises only cross‐sectional data. In order to test causality a longitudinal design is needed. Practical implications: Managers should offer development and promotion opportunities in order to prevent turnover and to enhance internal flexibility as well as reflect on inducements for female and older workers. Originality/value: This is one of the few studies exploring employee perceptions in Central European transition countries. Moreover, in general, research on the perceived alternatives of low‐educated employees is very scarce. Therefore, this research also contributes to knowledge about their labour market perceptions