The Impact of Social Networking Sites on the Employer-Employee Relationship

The effects that internet-based social networking sites (SNS) have on the labour market have yet to be investigated. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether and in what way SNS are changing the nature of the relationships between employers on the one hand, and employees and job applicants on the other. By means of an online survey, information was collected about attitudes towards data security, self-marketing and career development. This study suggests that employees who use social networking sites as self-marketing tools aim to build a positive reputation and thus redress the asymmetrical information relationship with employers. The survey also shows that data security plays an important role

Social Knowledge Environments

Knowledge management represents a key issue for both information systems’ academics and practitioners, including those who have become disillusioned by actual results that fail to deliver on exaggerated promises and idealistic visions. Social software, a tremendous global success story, has prompted similarly high expectations regarding the ways in which organizations can improve their knowledge handling. But can these expectations be met, whether in academic research or the real world? This article seeks to identify current research trends and gaps, with a focus on social knowledge environments. The proposed research agenda features four focal challenges: semi-permeable organizations, social software in professional work settings, crowd knowledge, and crossborder knowledge management. Three solutions emerge as likely methods to address these challenges: designoriented solutions, analytical solutions, and interdisciplinary dialogue

Die Arbeitswelt von morgen schon heute: Beobachtungen der Berliner Tech- und Startup-Szene

Vielen Managern in etablierten Großunternehmen erscheint die Arbeitswelt von morgen noch ferne Zukunft zu sein. Aus persönlichen Erfahrungen mit der Tech- und Startup-Szene Berlins zeichnet der Autor des vorliegenden Discussion Papers ein anderes Bild. Datengetriebene Business Modelle, neue Arbeits- und Kreativitätsmethoden und flexible Organisationformen sind für DAX-Unternehmen nicht weniger als eine Revolution. Ganz zu schweigen von echter Fehlerkultur und einer Führung, die nicht wie bisher den Manager als Experten ansieht, sondern den Mitarbeiter. In den meisten Startups und Tech-Unternehmen hingegen sind diese Arbeitsbedingungen längst gang und gäbe. Auch Rekrutierung und Weiterbildung erhalten hier einen völlig neuen Stellenwert. Aus diesen Beobachtungen leitet der Autor fünf Thesen zur Arbeitswelt von morgen ab und gibt hierauf basierend Handlungsempfehlungen für Hochschulen und den tertiären Bildungssektor

Gamified Recruitment: A Way to Win the Talent of Tomorrow?

Organizations are faced with increased competition in the war for talent, and their sustained competitive advantage may depend on the ability to attract suitable candidates. The gamification of HR recruitment processes can be one solution, as it creates employer brand awareness and enables candidates to better assess their fit with the organizational culture and job requirements. Based on a comprehensive literature review and through focus groups and qualitative content analysis, we develop guidelines for effective application design and implementation. Our findings are mirrored against UTAUT 2 theory and consolidated in a Model for Acceptance of Gamified Recruitment Elements. Results suggest that gamified recruitment is an effective option to support traditional recruitment processes in orienting candidates and companies about the individual employer fit, ultimately increasing the quality of applications and strengthening organizations’ talent pools. From the results, we derive guidelines on how to effectively implement design features

Skilled migration: Bridging the conceptual gap between friendship, social capital, and employability

Germany's population is currently undergoing a major shift as well as a general decline. These changes are expected to impact not only the workforce but also the social systems dependent on having a steady supply of individuals contributing to them. While no single solution alone is likely to be enough to resolve the upcoming challenges, the post-graduation employment of international students may help. However, even though there are jobs available, many international students in Germany struggle to find work after completing their studies. How, and with who, international students form their networks in the host country may play a crucial role in successful employment. While research has been conducted on international student friendship formation, social capital, and employability, little to no research has been conducted on how these elements interact when employment in the host country is the goal of an international student post-graduation. A better understanding of the role friendship plays in developing host country social capital could be key in guaranteeing international students to find employment in their host country post-graduation. Additionally, for Germany in particular, this will mean more filled positions and potentially reduced strain on workforce dependent social systems in the future

Transforming organizational culture amidst a diverse workforce: A qualitative study in the service industry

The purpose of this case study is to explore the topic of organizational culture and ultimately define the culture of HealthIA, a rapidly growing service organization operating in the hospitality industry. By collecting qualitative data through interviews and focus groups we aim to benchmark the organization of study against identified practices of healthy culture and provide suggestions for transformation and change. We base our analysis on well-researched cultural theories, namely Schein's ten step assessment process, Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework and House et al.'s GLOBE study. For defining HealthIA's organizational culture, we make use of Schein's three levels of culture, determining the artefacts, espoused beliefs and values, and basic underlying assumptions. HealthIA is identified as culturally diverse with a communitarian focus valuing teamwork and relationships with an underlying assumption that the purpose of the organization is to be highly profitable. Since employee perceptions towards the organizational culture were found to be negatively charged and misaligned with the cultural perceptions of management, an incremental cultural transformation is advised. By extending identified desirable values such as innovation and transparency the organization can improve its culture towards more effective practices. HealthIA's leaders were identified as a crucial component of cultural change and are suggested to be empathetic, encouraging, and communicative. Moreover, HealthIA is advised to align strategy and culture, practice clear and consistent leadership, and emphasize employee socialization practices

Pilotenausbildung der Zukunft: Potenzial und Einsatz von Virtual Reality im Flight Training

Commercial aviation is an important part of modern life with flight training being one of its backbones. To foster an airline's financial viability, investments in sustainable and cost-efficient technologies need to be made. Prior literature suggests that Virtual Reality applications can be used for training purposes effectively while yielding substantial economic benefits. Thus far however, research focused on training of inexperienced, novice flight students. It is the aim of this paper to analyze the didactical, economic, and environmental potential of Virtual Reality for flight trainings of experienced pilots and identify potential use cases within airlines' training operations. Five expert interviews are conducted and evaluated by means of qualitative content analysis. The results indicate that Virtual Reality applications are favorable in several training-related use cases. Apart from didactical advantages, environmental benefits such as a CO2-reductionmay also be obtained. Due to regulatory as well as technical challenges however, prospects of implementing Virtual Reality in airlines are still limited at present. That is why at this early stage, Virtual Reality is recommended for theoretical training only, with simulator training of experienced pilots still being a developmental area. Economic risks consist of dependence of vendors as well as high initial investment costs

How Digital Business Strategy Affects Profitability: Opening the ‘Black Box’ of Performance

In the context of the digitalization, a growing number of both researchers and practitioners recommend developing a Digital Business Strategy (DBS). While drivers such as technological trends, organizational shifts, as well as key themes of the DBS are well understood, its impact on organizational performance lacks investigation. The objective of this paper is to contribute to a more detailed understanding of performance by focusing on the mechanisms that lead to a higher profitability as a result of the DBS. Based on a sample consisting of 123 large enterprises from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, including 16 stock-listed enterprises (DAX), we calculated a mediated path model in AMOS. Results indicate that a) DBS is positively related to innovation and b) innovation has a strong positive impact on profitability, but that it is fully mediated by organizational agility. Corresponding theoretical as well as practical contributions are discussed