Digital Connectivity for Work after Hours Amid COVID-19: The Case of Public Sector in Lithuania

In Lithuania the implementation of telework in public sector is not very prominent. However, amid COVID-19 and national lockdown situation new measures had to be taken and in some public sector entities telework was introduced for the first time. With implementation of this new work mode, digital connectivity for work after hours became a prominent practice. To evaluate how this work model shift influenced employees (why they work and what outcomes such work generates), a qualitative research method, interviews, was applied in case of 2 public sector entities in Lithuania where telework was not considered to be a normal practice. Even though being a pilot study, the results of this research revealed that after the introduction of telework and given the access to digital technologies for work related matters, employees tend to experience increased work engagement, have more flexibility to manage their work time and undesirable outcomes of such work model are not as negative and severe as can be predicted. This case study introduces the topic not explored in depth heretofore and suggests ingenious conclusions on the matter. Results of this study support and contradict previous literature and propose additional insights. One of the most important practical implications refers to the findings that introduction of telework for the first time in public sector has more benefits than undesired outcomes with only insignificant undesirable outcomes

Towards to Sustainable Development: Theoretical Research

The purpose of this article is to analyse the opportunities for change (scientific assumptions) that determine the transformations of consumer behaviour in the context of sustainable development needs. The article describes the dilemma of consumption and sustainability, since the increasing scale of consumption, as one of the major purposes of the well-being of the society, organisations and the state, is also one of the major risk factors to the environment, equality and health. That is why the article provides an overview of the influence of consumption on ecology, health, social aspects and inequality, also discussing the positions of the consumer, the company and the government, as well as their opportunities to transform the unsustainable consumer behaviour into sustainable consumer behaviour. The authors believe that a framework, based on interdisciplinary understanding and collaborative knowledge, is needed to identify and relate research questions, theories, and conclusions. Therefore, it must be a result of an integrated attitude, because efficient advancement in the field of sustainable and productive consumption may be achieved only by joint effort of producers and consumers and by including the interested groups of the consumption and production system. Such cooperation would promote changes in the consumer and producer behaviour

An analysis of best practices to enhance higher education teaching staff digital and multimedia skills

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the teaching ways in universities, rapidly moving from face-to-face delivery models to online and distance learning. Consequently, the multimedia and digital competencies of the teaching staff were suddenly put onto the stage, resulting in the realisation that many of them were not sufficiently skilled to face this challenge due to a lack of prior training. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this explanatory research is to present and make a comparison of key training programs, deemed best practices, that address different ways to assist higher education teaching staff to acquire the multimedia competencies required to be technologically- proficient in their classes. METHODS: A desk research provides the data for a multiple case study of courses implemented in universities of five European countries, namely Spain, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Romania, and Slovenia. RESULTS: The results of the study show a total of 28 courses ranging from how to deliver online teaching to gamification, going through other topics such as photo and video editing, that enable higher education teachers to acquire digital skills. The main challenges detected for the success of these training programs are the teachers’ lack of time for training, non-positive attitudes towards technology, and lack of innovative capacity in their teaching processes. Among the positive outcomes, we can find that these universities opt for programs with courses varied in content, to cover a wider range of skills, as well as offering courses at several levels of development so that all staff may improve, from the very beginners to more advanced tools. CONCLUSION: By identifying the challenges and success factors behind the best practices hereby analysed, the lessons obtained from this research may serve as benchmarks for other universities to develop efficient multimedia training programs for university staff.This research has been funded by the European Commission within the project Multimedia Competencies for University Staff to Empower University –Community Collaborations (2020-1-Ro01-KA203-080399)

The Impact of Job Insecurity on Employee Happiness at Work: A Case of Robotised Production Line Operators in Furniture Industry in Lithuania

As a result of intensive robotisation over the past decade, employees have been constantly experiencing job insecurity, a term which refers to the perceived threat of job loss and the worries related to this threat. Previous studies have supported the detrimental effect of job insecurity on employees; however, the focus on happiness at work is still missing, despite the notion that a happy employee is essentially contributing to sustainable business performance. Trying to narrow the gap, the paper aims at revealing the linkage between job insecurity and happiness at work and its dimensions, namely job satisfaction, affective organisational commitment, and work engagement. Building on the hindrance stressor dimension of the stress model, and conservation of resources and psychological contract theories, the paper claims that a negative relationship exists between the constructs. Quantitative data were collected in a survey of robotised production line operators working in the furniture sector in Lithuania. As predicted, the results revealed that job insecurity had a negative impact on happiness at work as a higher-order construct and all of its dimensions. This finding should be taken seriously by organisations creating a robotised production environment while striving for sustainability

Alkilintų 5-cian-2-metilsulfanil-4(3H)-pirimidinonų sintezės ir ciklizacijos reakcijų tyrimas

The cyclization reactions of initial ethyl (E)-2-cyano-3-(S-methylisothioureido)-2-propenoate under acid and basic catalysis conditions has been studied. It was determined that boiling in glacial acetic acid proceeds selectively and leads to formation of ethyl 4-amino-2-methylsulfanylpyrimidine-5-carboxylate, while ring closure in alkaline media gives rise to a mixture of 5-cyano-2-methylsulfanyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone (major product), small amounts of ethyl 4-amino-2-methylsulfanylpyrimidine-5-carboxylate and uncyclisized products – ethyl 2-cyano-3-ureido-2-propenoates. Alkylation of 5-cyano-2-methylsulfanyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone with 4-substituted ω- bromoacetophenones in the system CH3CN–K2CO3–[KI] has been investigated and influence of aromatic ring substituent for alkylation product distribution has been determined. The all three series of O-, N3- and N1-alkylated isomers have been isolated by means of fraction crystallization. Novel method for the synthesis of furo[2,3-d]pyrimidines by cyclization of of O-alkylated isomers – 2-methylsulfanyl-4-(4´-R-phenacyloxy)pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles – has been developed and functionalization (acetylation, oxidation, hydrolysis and hydrazinolysis) possibilities of synthesized 5-amino-6-(4´-R-benzoyl)-2-methylsulfanylfuro[2,3-d]pyrimidines has been examined

Human resource management practices linkage with organizational commitment and job satisfaction

Kontekstas, kuriame veikia organizacija, nuolat vystosi: greita aplinkos kaita, globalizacija ir konkurencija kuriant inovatyvias paslaugas kuria naujus iššūkius ir reikalavimus. Organizacijos turi išnaudoti visus savo išteklius, siekdamos konkurencinio pranašumo, ir dėl to tapo labai populiaru tirti žmogiškųjų išteklių valdymo (ŽIV) sukuriamą pridėtinę vertę. Daug šių tyrimų pademonstravo statistiškai reikšmingą ryšį tarp ŽIV pritaikymo ir firmos pelningumo bei patvirtino prielaidą, kad žmogiškieji ištekliai ir jų valdymas yra strateginis organizacijos išteklius. Teigiant, kad ŽIV įtakoja veiklą, nėra bendro sutarimo, kokie ŽIV pritaikymo būdai turėtų būti įtraukti į bendrą jų sąrašą ir kaip šie būdai gali būti suklasifikuoti, taip pat mažai dėmesio yra kreipiama į procesų, kurių metu pasireiškia poveikis, tyrimą. Straipsnyje atskleidžiamas ŽIV pritaikymo galimybės įsipareigojimo organizacijai ir pasitenkinimo darbu kontekste. Straipsnyje siūlomas atsakymas į klausimą, kaip ŽIV pritaikymas gali įtakoti organizacijos veiklą. Poveikis yra tiriamas remiantis AMO struktūra, kuri atskleidžia darbuotojų gebėjimų, motyvacijos ir galimybės dalyvauti svarbą. Be to, straipsnyje pateikiamas empirinis tyrimas, rodantis, kad ŽIV pritaikymas gebėjimų, motyvacijos ir dalyvavimo didinimui turi teigiamą ryšį su emocinėmis žmogiškųjų išteklių reakcijomis: įsipareigojimu organizacijai ir pasitenkinimu darbu.Although all types of resources are essential for organizational success, the literature seems to accept that human resources and their management have a significant impact on organizational performance. Assuming HRM does influence performance there appears to be no consensus on the nature of HRM practices and categorization of performance outcomes, also little attention is paid to exploring the processes through which the impact takes place. The paper reveals the nature of HRM practices and the content of organizational commitment and job satisfaction. The paper proposes an answer to the question - how HRM practices can influence organizational performance. The approach of impact is based on AMO framework, which discloses the importance of employees abilities, motivation and opportunity to participate. Besides, the paper presents empirical research showing that skill-enhancing, motivation-enhancing and engagement-enhancing HRM practices have a positive relations with affective human resource reactions: organizational commitment and job satisfaction

Aukščiausio lygmens vadovų ir tiesioginių vadovų sąveika įgyvendinant strategines kryptis

Organizations nowadays face crucial business challenges, like globalization, profitability through growth, technology integration, intellectual capital management, continuous change. Seeking to survive in the turbulent environment organizations need to assess the complexity of environment and to choose strategic development directions which are concretized in organizational strategy. Every organization is guided by its strategy, by a design or plan for achieving an organization's policy goals and objectives, however the inequality between intended and implemented strategies exists. Acknowledging this fact, the paper raises a question why organizations focus on difficulties by implementing their strategies and provides an insight into the aspects related to a successful implementation of an intended strategy into praxis. The fruitful strategy formulation and the effective strategy implementation require the coordination of multiple actors and their activities. Whereas top management is responsible for the strategic and organizational decisions that affect the organization as a whole and line managers operate as an intermediary between strategic and operational organizational activities, the interaction between these two key actors in order to minimize the gap between strategies is essential. Assuming that some aspects may affect the success of key actor's interaction, the assumptions, which determine the nature of interaction are presented.The paper looks into four assumptions: organizational culture, organizational structure, communication and allocation of resources which discloses the complexity of interaction. The paper proposes the discussion concerning the top management and line manager's interaction and the key dimensions of that interaction seeking to ensure the implementation of strategic directions into praxis. Whereas top management and line managers can cooperate in a various number of activities, some dimensions of interaction are more significant. Goals determination, strategy formulation and strategy implementation are three key dimensions where interaction between top management and line managers is in demand if the organization strives to translate strategic directions into praxis. Finally assessing the character of activity and the discussed assumptions, the theoretical aspects on interaction between top management and line managers were verified during the empirical research in educational organizations and is presented in this paper. This brings to conclusion that the interaction between top management and line managers implementing strategic directions into praxis should be considered as a central issue of management literature. The paper is based on the material of the Leonardo da Vinci innovation transferring project "Crossnational quality management in continuing learning for people with low educational attainment in the European context