The Case of a Transitional Economy - Poland

Background information: The international conference „SustEcon Conference – The contribution of a sustainable economy to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” took place on 25 and 26 September 2017 at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany (organised by the NaWiKo project). The focus of the conference was on the contributions of the sustainable economy to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This contribution can be observed on a number of different levels: Innovations toward achieving the SDGs are to be as much a topic at the conference as methodological questions about measuring sustainability. In addition to that, the differences between various discourses and concepts and their respective contributions to the sustainable economy were also featured prominently in the conference. A further topic of interest was the (political) framework conditions and barriers to a sustainable economy as well as the contribution of science to the SDGs

Researching employee experiences and behavior in times of crisis: Theoretical and methodological considerations and implications for human resource management

Over the past 2 years, numerous empirical studies in the fields of human resource management, organizational behavior, and industrial, work, and organizational psychology have investigated employee experiences and behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this paper is to take a step back and to outline several theoretical and methodological considerations when researching employee experiences and behavior in times of crisis more generally. These insights may be useful when developing conceptual models, designing empirical studies, and managing people in the context of future crises. We first review theoretical approaches that could be applied to explain changes in employee experiences and behavior in times of crisis, including stress theories, theories of adjustment to work-related changes, career construction theory, event system theory, transition-adaptation theories, the crisis management and resilience framework, and the social identity model of identity change. Second, we outline methodological considerations and best practices regarding the research design of quantitative empirical studies, sampling, measurement, and analytic strategies. Throughout, we highlight empirical studies on employee experiences and behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic that have adopted these theoretical approaches and methodological best practices. We conclude with several suggestions for future theory development and empirical studies on employee experiences and behavior as well as human resource management in times of crisis

Editorial: Advances in Research on Age in the Workplace and Retirement

The Editorial on the Research Topic. Advances in Research on Age in theWorkplace and Retirement

Employee Green Behavior as the Core of Environmentally Sustainable Organizations

Environmental sustainability has become an ethical and strategic imperative for organizations, and more and more employees are interested, encouraged, or instructed to act in environmentally sustainable ways. Consequently, organizational scholars have increasingly studied individual-level antecedents of employee pro-environmental or employee green behavior (EGB). We argue that, to advance this literature and to inform effective interventions, research should investigate how EGB, as a compound performance domain, is associated with antecedents and consequences at multiple levels (i.e., individual, team, work context, organization, society). Accordingly, we pursue three interrelated goals with this review. We first present a comprehensive review of research on EGB, including definitions, theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, and empirical findings. Second, we develop an integrative conceptual model of EGB as the core of organizational environmental sustainability. Third, we conclude with recommendations for future theory development and methodological improvements, as well as practical implications for employees, leaders, and human resource management

Wymiary dyskursu ekologicznego – przegląd problemów i wybranej literatury

In the last few decades the ecological (environmental or sustainability) discourse has been advanced and intensified. This discourse takes its place predominantly in highly developed countries and also in forums of international organizations and institutions (e.g. UN, Greenpeace, alter-globalist movements). There is more and more dimensions of research and discussions. New ideas, concepts, theoretical approaches, methodologies, also practical innovations and procedures are emerging. The discourse is to a growing extent multi- and interdisciplinary, not excluding however other perspectives like e.g. technological, economic, political, managerial, ethical. Important areas of studies and debates are such as government policies, business strategies, behavior of citizens, not to mention the global dimension of the problematique.W ostatnich dekadach rozwija się i nasila dyskurs ekologiczny (zwany też środowiskowym i zrównoważnościowym). Ma to miejsce przede wszystkim w krajach wysoko rozwiniętych oraz na forach organizacji i instytucji międzynarodowych (jak np. ONZ, Greenpeace, altergobaliści). Dyskurs ten nabiera coraz więcej wymiarów. Powstaje coraz więcej nowych idei, koncepcji, ujęć teoretycznych, metodologii, a także praktycznych innowacji i procedur. Cechą tego dyskursu jest multi- i interdyscyplinarność, co nie wyklucza ujęć z perspektywy technologii, ekonomii, polityki, zarządzania, etyki. Ważnym obszarem badań i debat jest polityka rządów, strategie biznesu, z zachowania obywateli, nie mówiąc o wymiarze globalnym problemów ekologicznych

Tough times at the top: Occupational status predicts changes in job satisfaction in times of crisis

How do individuals with a higher versus lower occupational status experience major, unexpected changes to their work life? The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted most areas of work life and, thus, provides a unique opportunity to examine changes in work attitudes in response to a worldwide crisis. We predict that individuals with higher, but not with lower occupational status showed a decline in job satisfaction during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany (1st lockdown; March to May 2020), with subsequent recovery to initial job satisfaction levels. Based on role theory and social-psychological theories of hierarchical differentiation, we argue that, due to the profound work-related changes, individuals with higher (vs. lower) occupational status are more negatively affected in realizing their work goals and, thus, experience decreasing levels of job satisfaction. To test these predictions, we investigated trajectories of job satisfaction between December 2019 and August 2020 (7 measurement waves; N = 1583). Results of piece-wise growth curve models showed that individuals with higher occupational status showed a steeper decline in job satisfaction (followed by recovery) over time, whereas individuals with medium and lower occupational status did not experience a significant change in job satisfaction. In addition, we show that the decline in job satisfaction is moderated by perceived constraints at work associated with the pandemic among individuals with higher occupational status. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of the link between occupational status and job satisfaction in times of crisis

The selection, optimization, and compensation model in the work context:A systematic review and meta-analysis of two decades of research

Free to read Over the past two decades, the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) model has been applied in the work context to investigate antecedents and outcomes of employees' use of action regulation strategies. We systematically review, meta-analyze, and critically discuss the literature on SOC strategy use at work and outline directions for future research and practice. The systematic review illustrates the breadth of constructs that have been studied in relation to SOC strategy use, and that SOC strategy use can mediate and moderate relationships of person and contextual antecedents with work outcomes. Results of the meta-analysis show that SOC strategy use is positively related to age (rc = .04), job autonomy (rc = .17), self-reported job performance (rc = .23), non-self-reported job performance (rc = .21), job satisfaction (rc = .25), and job engagement (rc = .38), whereas SOC strategy use is not significantly related to job tenure, job demands, and job strain. Overall, our findings underline the importance of the SOC model for the work context, and they also suggest that its measurement and reporting standards need to be improved to become a reliable guide for future research and organizational practice