Apprenticeships and ‘future work’ : are we ready?
- Authors: Smith, Erica
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training and Development Vol. 23, no. 1 (2019), p. 69-88
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- Description: The paper evaluates the readiness of apprenticeship systems to cope with five major developments affecting the future of work. The institution of apprenticeship has evolved over time in all countries, gradually adapting to changes in industrial processes, the economy, the labour market and education systems. This paper suggests, however, that recent changes in the economy and the labour market, and their concomitant effects on the likely future of work, have the potential to disrupt apprenticeship systems quite radically worldwide, and/or to make them less relevant in the 21st century. The paper draws on data from recent Australian and international research projects undertaken by the author, as well as the author’s engagement in Australian government exercises to discuss the future of apprenticeships. The research found that adaptations of systems and processes were being undertaken at company level and by stakeholders such as trade union or employer peak bodies. They were less frequently apparent, however, in government policy. The paper analyses the data to produce a framework of readiness for ‘future work’, but also queries whether adaptation of apprenticeship systems is necessarily desirable in all instances. Although the presence of multiple stakeholders in the system has previously been viewed as a strength of the system, it can also make even minor changes difficult to implement. This could prove to be a major impediment to apprenticeship’s future or could be a means of preserving its essential features. © 2019 Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Description: International Labour Organization, ILO with the assistance of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.
Employer training in Australia : Current practices and concerns
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Callan, Victor , Tuck, Jacquiline , Smith, Andy
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training and Development Vol. 23, no. 2 (2019), p. 169-183
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- Description: This paper presents and analyses results from a research project on current trends in employer training in Australia. While the formal vocational education and training (VET) system is well-researched, the everyday training that happens in workplaces is relatively under-researched in Australia. Using some of the results of an employer survey undertaken in 2015, the paper describes and analyses employer-based training across a range of industry areas. The survey included groups of questions on a range of matters, including the reasons why employers train, and how these relate to employers' perceptions of their operating environment, and the structures they have in place to manage and organize training. Detailed data are provided about three specific forms of training: in-house training and learning; the use that employers make of external providers of training; and employers' use of nationally recognised training - training from the VET system. Finally the paper reports what managers said about the barriers to providing more training. The paper analyses the findings in relation to the literature and also identified changes over time in training practices in Australian companies. Implications for training policy and practice, as well as for future research, are identified.
From making do to making home : gender and housewifery on the Victorian goldfields
- Authors: Dernelley, Katrina
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Labour History Vol. , no. 117 (Nov 2019), p. 1-21
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- Description: Feminist historians have been strong advocates for the recognition of women's domestic lives, yet housework remains an underexplored area of labour history. Scholars of material culture have explored individual aspects of domestic life on the goldfields, particularly needlework; however, the broader focus has remained on women's activities outside the home. Although typically interpreted through narratives of masculine adventure, hardship and goldseeking, the goldfields were also domesticated landscapes. Both men and women consciously made attempts to create home, even when the concept of home was transitory. Commonly, the task of transforming an industrial landscape into a domestic one fell to women, who had been assigned the "natural" responsibility of household labour for centuries. The expectation was that women would attend to the daily labour-intensive work of creating and maintaining home.
Governance and leadership implications for academic professionals in the era of technological disruption
- Authors: Wells, Philippa , Ingley, Coral
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Management and Governance Vol. 23, no. 1 (2019), p. 21-32
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- Description: Whether employee unions have a role to play in Universities (and what that role might be) has always been troubling, with views ranging from philosophical antipathy to wholesale endorsement. In some jurisdictions, levels of membership and support also have varied in response to such external factors as statutory changes to governance structures of universities, voluntary unionism, changes to the direct role of unions in furthering the statutory responsibilities of employers such as in promotion of health and safety in the workplace, and such internal factors as casualisation, centralisation of power and decision making and policies of workforce flexibility via redundancy and other strategies. An emerging “threat” that is garnering increasing levels of concern is that of disruptive automation in the higher education sphere, not only in ancillary functions such as learning management systems, information processing and provision of student support services, but also going to the root of the academic function—the education experience. This development will have fundamental implications for higher education, as for other service industries, and poses essential challenges for employee unions in terms of their relevance, governance and leadership, particularly where that automation threatens job security and careers. This paper will explore those challenges by reference to analogous developments such as MOOCs, “cookie-cutter” courses and programs, casualisation and the growth in on-line, flexible and blended delivery modes. As a review and commentary, the exploration will focus on the Australian context but to ensure broader relevance, will be grounded in political economy, reflecting the tensions that emerge between the funders of universities, both public and private, who seek higher profits, control and power, and those who see universities as a fundamental social institution. Arguably, it is in the space created by such tensions that the future for unions is located. It is a matter of determining what that future looks like. This approach permits both contextualisation of the discussion and provides opportunities for international comparisons, thereby providing a basis for future research within the context of academic leadership.
Social responsibility by Australian football clubs in the 1890s
- Authors: Halabi, Abdel
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Management History Vol. 25, no. 3 (2019), p. 384-400
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- Description: Purpose This paper aims to examine the social responsibility (SR) by Australian football clubs during the late nineteenth century. While there has been some contemporary research linking SR with sporting clubs, there is a dearth of such studies in the historical context. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a qualitative approach and in the absence of annual reports, relies on The Suburban newspaper narratives of club annual general meetings (AGMs). The National Library of Australia's newspaper digitisation programme was used which is a unique archive in management research. Findings Even though it was well-known that football provided a social outlet for watching games, this paper found clubs also engaged in a number of SR-related activities that benefited many stakeholders and the surrounding communities. Originality/value Deficient in much of the history of Australian football is the SR that clubs displayed to their stakeholders. This paper lengthens the historical SR literature for sporting clubs, and provides rich and detailed evidence of SR. While Australian football club histories continue to highlight winning teams, premierships and major personalities, their SR contribution is also significant and extends to the foundation of the game.
Sustainable financing practices through green bonds : What affects the funding size?
- Authors: Barua, Suborna , Chiesa, Micol
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Business Strategy and the Environment Vol. 28, no. 6 (2019), p. 1131-1147
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- Description: Financing through the supply-driven green bonds market has significantly surged in recent years. In this paper, we examine the factors influencing the size of financing though green bond supply, using cross-section OLS regressions on a global dataset for 8 years (2010–2017) sourced from Bloomberg. We consider a set of tridimensional factors: bond characteristics, issuer characteristics, and market characteristics and examine their effects on issue size. Alongside whole sample estimation, we produce year-wise estimations to realize the evolution and persistence of the effects over time. We then produce estimates across rating grades of the bonds. Finally, we carry Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition to see if average issue size has significantly changed over time and whether the factors considered can explain the difference. We find a large number of factors affecting issue size asymmetrically; however, many of the effects do not persist over time and are heterogeneous across rating grades. In contrast to the aggregate market trend, we find no evidence of increases in average issue size in the recent year. Furthermore, the average financing size is found significantly lower for high-grade bonds. The paper provides a basis for encouraging green bond supply, particularly considering the rating of the bonds and the issuers.
Capital structure of SMEs : a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis
- Authors: Kumar, Satish , Sureka, Riya , Colombage, Sisira
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Management Review Quarterly Vol. 70, no. 4 (2020), p. 535-565
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- Description: Capital structure is the outcome of market conditions, financial decisions taken by the firm, and credit rationing of fund providers. Research on the capital structure of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has gained momentum in recent years. The present study aims to identify key contributors, key areas, current dynamics, and suggests future research directions in the field of the capital structure of SMEs. This paper adopts a systematic literature review methodology along with bibliometric, network, and content analysis on a sample of 262 studies taken from the Web of Science database to examine the research activities that have taken place on this topic. Most influential papers are identified based on citations and PageRank, along with the most influential authors. The co-citation network is developed to see the intellectual structure of this research area. Applying bibliometric tools, four research clusters have been identified and content analysis performed on the papers identified in the clusters. It is found that the major research focus in this area is around theory testing—mainly, pecking order theory, trade-off theory, and agency theory. Determinants of capital structure, trade credit, corporate governance, and bankruptcy are also the prominent research topics in this field. Also, this study has identified the research gaps and has proposed five actionable research directions for the future. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Differences in personality and the sharing of managerial tacit knowledge: an empirical analysis of public sector managers in Malaysia
- Authors: Abdul Manaf, Halimah , Harvey, William , Armstrong, Steven , Lawton, Alan
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Knowledge Management Vol. 24, no. 5 (2020), p. 1177-1199
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- Description: Purpose: This study aims to identify differences in knowledge-sharing mechanisms and personality among expert, typical and novice managers within the Malaysian public sector. Strengthening knowledge sharing function is essential for enabling public institutions around the world to be more productive. Design/methodology/approach: This quantitative study involves 308 employees from management and professional groups within 98 local authorities in the Malaysian local government. Stratified random sampling techniques were used and the sampling frame comprised 1,000 staff using postal surveys. Data analyses were carried out using analysis of variance and correlations to test the research hypotheses. Findings: The findings reveal that expert managers are more proactive in sharing their knowledge, particularly those with the personality traits of conscientiousness and openness. These two personality traits were also related to expert behaviours such as thoroughness, responsibility and persistence, which led to work competency and managerial success. Originality/value: This study provides theoretical insights into how managerial tacit knowledge differs and can accumulate, depending on the personality traits of middle managers. The paper shows the different mechanisms of knowledge sharing, tacit knowledge and personality among expert, typical and novice managers. Practically, this study is important for guiding senior managers in their attempts to identify the most appropriate personalities of their middle managers. This study found that the expert group was higher in conscientiousness, openness and overall personality traits compared with the typical and novice groups. The paper also highlights the value of sharing managerial tacit knowledge effectively. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Dominance or deceit : the role of the dark triad and hegemonic masculinity in emotional manipulation
- Authors: Waddell, Chloe , Van Doorn, George , March, Evita , Grieve, Rachel
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 166, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: People may emotionally manipulate others in an attempt to control them and achieve personally satisfying outcomes. Experiencing emotional manipulation is related to several negative outcomes (e.g., depression). As a first step in addressing these negative outcomes, this study explored the utility of hegemonic masculinity and the Dark Triad (i.e., trait narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) in predicting emotional manipulation. Three hundred and twenty-seven participants (119 men, 208 women) completed an online survey measuring hegemonic masculinity, narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, as well as their (a) perceived ability to emotionally manipulate others, and (b) willingness to engage in emotional manipulation. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, for both men and women, hegemonic masculinity was a significant predictor of one's willingness and perceived ability to emotionally manipulate others. However, when Dark Triad traits were added to the model, hegemonic masculinity's contribution became non-significant. Hegemonic masculinity seems to share variance with Dark Triad traits, particularly Machiavellianism. These findings are important as they establish that existing operational definitions of hegemonic masculinity share features with certain ‘dark’ personality traits. Thus, when predicting antisocial behaviour and tendencies, perhaps the variance explained by hegemonic masculinity is better captured by dark personality traits. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Impacts of supportive HR practices and organisational climate on the attitudes of HR managers towards gender diversity – a mediated model approach
- Authors: Biswas, Kumar , Boyle, Brendan , Bhardwaj, Sneh
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Evidence-based HRM Vol. 9, no. 1 (2020), p. 18-33
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- Description: Purpose: Using the theoretical lens of the behavioural perspective on HRM, this study examined a mediated model to understand the extent to which organisational factors such as supportive human resource management policies and practices (SHRPP) and organisational climate (OC) can influence the affective attitudes of HR managers towards promoting women into organisational leadership roles. Survey data collected from 182 human resource managers in Bangladesh were analysed using partial least squares–based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and the PROCESS macro to test mediating effects. The results reveal that the adoption of SHRPP is positively associated with OC, which in turn shapes the attitudes of HR managers leading to implementing unbiased promotional practices for organisational leadership roles. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative survey data collected from 182 human resource managers in Bangladesh were analysed using PLS-SEM and PROCESS macro. Findings: The results reveal that the adoption of SHRPP is positively associated with OC which in turn shapes the attitudes of HR managers leading to implementing unbiased promotional practices for organisational leadership roles. Research limitations/implications: Self-report, cross-sectional survey data may contribute to the methodological bias such as common method bias (CMB). Harman's single-factor test revealed that no single component explained a major portion of the total variance. Furthermore, partial correlational analysis using a marker variable coupled with an assessment of social desirability indicates that common method variance is unlikely to have any CMB risks to the validity of the study results. Practical implications: From a practical point of view, the findings of this study suggest that supportive HR practices may create a positive organisational climate that leads to creating a healthy work environment ensuring an equal opportunity for everyone to grow and excel irrespective of their socio-cultural backgrounds and gender identity; thus, facilitating the organisation to take advantage of creativity and innovation offered by their talents, a critical factor for the organisation to survive and flourish in the dynamic market. Social implications: The study findings provide insights into why organisations should adopt fair and transparent HR policies to create a congenial work climate impacting on positive social attitudes towards acceptance of a gender-balanced empowered society. Originality/value: To the best of author's knowledge, this is the first study that examined a mediated model to understand how organisational factors such as SHRPP and OC can impact on the affective attitudes of HR managers towards promoting women in the organisational leadership roles. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
International experience, attitudes toward women and the adoption of supportive HR practices
- Authors: Biswas, Kumar , Boyle, Brendan , Mitchell, Rebecca
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources Vol. 58, no. 1 (Jan 2020), p. 66-84
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- Description: Underpinned by upper echelons theory, this study examines a mediated model to understand the link between human resource (HR) managers' international experience and the adoption of supportive HR practices, and whether their attitudes towards women as managers and anticipated affective reactions mediate this link. Structural equation modelling based on a sample of 183 organisations in Bangladesh reveals that HR managers' international experience has both direct and indirect effects on theadoption of supportive HR practices. Our findings indicate that the extent to which supportive HR practices are implemented in the organisation is contingent upon the cognitive and affective evaluation of managers' attitudes towards the initiative of a gender-balanced top management team. Therefore, our study offers novel contributions to our understanding of how HR mangers' attitudes shape the adoption of supportive HR practices in organisations.
Organizational pathways for social innovation and societal impacts in disability nonprofits
- Authors: Taylor, Rachel , Torugsa, Nuttaneeya , Arundel, Anthony
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Voluntas Vol. 31, no. 5 (2020), p. 995-1012
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- Description: Using data from a sample of 301 Australian disability nonprofit organizations (NPOs), this study applies configurational thinking to identify combinations of organizational capabilities that lead to Nonprofit Social Innovation (NSI)—a new service or process that promotes social inclusion of people with disabilities—and examines whether NSI is a sufficient condition for high societal impacts to be achieved. The conceptualization and components of the NSI framework were developed in our previous research through a two-month researcher-in-residency at disability NPOs. In this study, we employ fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify several “recipes” of capabilities (varying by organizational size and geographical location) for NSI development. The analyses find that high societal impacts from NSI occur when organizations adopt diverse perspectives, and embrace either person-focused approaches or operate in a risk-tolerant environment. These findings provide valuable linkages to managerial practice in nonprofits and advance emerging theoretical understandings of social innovation. © 2019, International Society for Third-Sector Research.
Portfolio construction by using different risk models : a comparison among diverse economic scenarios
- Authors: Hunjra, Ahmed , Alawi, Suha , Colombage, Sisira , Sahito, Uroosa , Hanif, Mahnoor
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Risks Vol. 8, no. 4 (2020), p. 1-23
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- Description: We aim to construct portfolios by employing different risk models and compare their performance in order to understand their appropriateness for effective portfolio management for investors. Mean variance (MV), semi variance (SV), mean absolute deviation (MaD) and conditional value at risk (CVaR) are considered as risk measures. The price data were extracted from the Pakistan stock exchange, Bombay stock exchange and Dhaka stock exchange under diverse economic conditions such as crisis, recovery and growth. We take the average of GDP of the selected period of each country as a cut-off point to make three economic scenarios. We use 40 stocks from the Pakistan stock exchange, 92 stocks from the Bombay stock exchange and 30 stocks from the Dhaka stock exchange. We compute optimal weights using global minimum variance portfolio (GMVP) for all stocks to construct optimal portfolios and analyze the data by using MV, SV, MaD and CVaR models for each subperiod. We find that CVaR (95%) gives better results in each scenario for all three countries and performance of portfolios is inconsistent in different scenarios. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Regulatory focus and investment advisers' recommending behavior
- Authors: Ewe, Soo , Lee, Christina , Gul, Fedinand
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Bank Marketing Vol. 39, no. 1 (2020), p. 107-126
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- Description: Purpose: This study examines the effect of a regulatory-focused prime (i.e. a brochure with a picture and message) on the recommending behavior of investment advisers in the context of an investment decision. Design/methodology/approach: Three experiments were conducted with 468 participants, mostly from the financial services industry. Study 1 examined the direct effect of a regulatory-focused prime on an investment adviser's recommending behavior, whereas Study 2 examined the moderating role of regulatory fit on such behavior. Study 3 validated the findings. Findings: The results provide evidence that a message using visual and textual cues based on a promotion and prevention regulatory focus may trigger a preference in an investment adviser's product recommendation. A promotion (prevention)-focused framed message will trigger the recommendation of an investment plan with a higher but riskier (safe and stable) potential return. However, when the same prime is presented with details of a performance incentive scheme, the effect of the prime is reduced when there is a regulatory nonfit between the prime and the message relating to the performance incentive scheme. Practical implications: The findings highlight the importance of understanding how regulatory-focused stimuli may subconsciously influence the recommendation of investment advisers as heuristics used in decision-making, thereby influencing their clients' investment decisions. Originality/value: Past studies have focused on how regulatory-focused visual and message cues influence consumer decision-making. This study provides empirical evidence regarding the influence of regulatory-focused prime on an investment adviser's behavior when providing investment advice. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Social Innovation in Disability Nonprofits: An Abductive Study of Capabilities for Social Change
- Authors: Taylor, Rachel , Torugsa, Nuttaneeya , Arundel, Anthony
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly Vol. 49, no. 2 (2020), p. 399-423
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- Description: This study uses an abduction-based approach to identify the capabilities harnessed by nonprofit organizations (NPOs) as they develop social innovations. The context of this study is the Australian disability sector currently undergoing a once-in-a-generation social policy reform with the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Data from extensive field observation and 52 interviews were collected during “researcher-in-residences” at two disability NPOs and analyzed using thematic coding and practice–theory iteration to arrive at a “working” hypothesis. The findings reveal many capabilities used by disability NPOs on the path to social innovation development. The complex interplay of these capabilities forms five pivotal capabilities (i.e., transformational empathy, place-based relationing, diversity learning, paradoxical change making, and complexity leadership) for eliciting nonprofit social innovation (NSI) with community and system-level impacts. © The Author(s) 2019.
Thriving at work as a mediator of the relationship between workplace support and life satisfaction
- Authors: Zhai, Qingguo , Wang, Saifang , Weadon, Helen
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Management & Organization Vol. 26, no. 2 (Mar 2020), p. 168-184
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- Description: Conservation of resources theory is employed to examine the effect of workplace support on thriving at work and the mediation of thriving at work on the workplace support and life satisfaction relationship using data on white-collar workers in China. We find that workplace support is positively related to thriving at work and thriving at work is positively related to life satisfaction. We also find that thriving at work fully mediates the relationship between life satisfaction and supervisor support, while the relationship between life satisfaction and coworker support is partially mediated by thriving at work. Consistent with the COR caravan and spillover hypothesis, we conclude that thriving at work is a mechanism that transmits the positive effects of workplace support on life satisfaction. The research findings suggest that an increase in workplace support can benefit both individuals and organizations by improving individuals' thriving at work and life satisfaction.
Transformed management scholarship and ways forward for exploring social innovation in organizations
- Authors: Taylor, Rachel , Torugsa, Nuttaneeya , Arundel, Anthony
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Studies of Management and Organization Vol. 50, no. 2 (2020), p. 107-129
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- Description: Inspired by recent calls for a transformation of management scholarship, we conduct a scoping review of empirical studies during 1998–2015 on the phenomenon of social innovation within organizations. Social innovations are novel solutions that address social problems and create value for society as a whole. We make several problem-based observations and suggest how the social innovation phenomenon can be empirically grounded and contextualized to make future research intellectually relevant and meaningful for practice. We propose that the way forward lies in using abduction as a logic of discovery, adopting complexity theorizing, and using set-theoretic analytical methods to reflect multiple realities. The application of these three methods will help link theory and research methods with practice, thereby improving the ability of research to tackle managerial and societal issues and hence strengthening management scholarship. © 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
A meta‐review of 10 years of green human resource management : is Green HRM headed towards a roadblock or a revitalisation?
- Authors: Paulet, Renee , Holland, Peter , Morgan, Damian
- Date: 2021
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- Relation: Asia Pacific journal of human resources Vol. 59, no. 2 (2021), p. 159-183
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- Description: Over the past decade Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as a growing field of conceptual and empirical work both within, and separate from, the broader topic of Sustainable HRM. As such, we believe it is an opportune time to provide an overview of the Green HRM literature up to 2020, together with a critical consideration of Green HRM into the future. Representing the first meta‐review in the Green HRM field, we surmise key aspects of Green HRM research emerging over the previous decade. We conclude by presenting an exploration of how Green HRM may evolve in the future, and pose the following question: With a myriad of implications from COVID‐19 on business survival and society in general, how will this affect the development of Green HRM? Is it headed towards a roadblock, or revitalisation? Key points A meta‐review of Green HRM literature demonstrates an established through to emerging field of research developed on empirical research over the past decade. Reviews provided three important outcomes for Green HRM – identification of key literature, proposed conceptual frameworks and identified research gaps. Green HRM provides a key driver aligning organisations towards sustainable outcomes. Further work is required including empirical studies in developing countries and application of rigorous research designs. The implications of the COVID‐19 pandemic are likely to have ramifications on the adoption and practice of Green HRM.
An evaluation methodology for interactive reinforcement learning with simulated users
- Authors: Bignold, Adam , Cruz, Francisco , Dazeley, Richard , Vamplew, Peter , Foale, Cameron
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biomimetics Vol. 6, no. 1 (2021), p. 1-15
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- Description: Interactive reinforcement learning methods utilise an external information source to evaluate decisions and accelerate learning. Previous work has shown that human advice could significantly improve learning agents’ performance. When evaluating reinforcement learning algorithms, it is common to repeat experiments as parameters are altered or to gain a sufficient sample size. In this regard, to require human interaction every time an experiment is restarted is undesirable, particularly when the expense in doing so can be considerable. Additionally, reusing the same people for the experiment introduces bias, as they will learn the behaviour of the agent and the dynamics of the environment. This paper presents a methodology for evaluating interactive reinforcement learning agents by employing simulated users. Simulated users allow human knowledge, bias, and interaction to be simulated. The use of simulated users allows the development and testing of reinforcement learning agents, and can provide indicative results of agent performance under defined human constraints. While simulated users are no replacement for actual humans, they do offer an affordable and fast alternative for evaluative assisted agents. We introduce a method for performing a preliminary evaluation utilising simulated users to show how performance changes depending on the type of user assisting the agent. Moreover, we describe how human interaction may be simulated, and present an experiment illustrating the applicability of simulating users in evaluating agent performance when assisted by different types of trainers. Experimental results show that the use of this methodology allows for greater insight into the performance of interactive reinforcement learning agents when advised by different users. The use of simulated users with varying characteristics allows for evaluation of the impact of those characteristics on the behaviour of the learning agent. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Enabling situational awareness of business processes
- Authors: Zhao, Xiaohui , Yongchareon, Sira , Cho, Nam-Wook
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Business Process Management Journal Vol. 27, no. 3 (2021), p. 779-795
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the ways of integrating situational awareness into business process management for the purpose of realising hyper automated business processes. Such business processes will help improve their customer experiences, enhance the reliability of service delivery and lower the operational cost for a more competitive and sustainable business. Design/methodology/approach: Ontology has been deployed to establish the context modelling method, and the event handling mechanisms are developed on the basis of event calculus. An approach on performance of the proposed approach has been evaluation by checking the cost savings from the simulation of a large number of business processes. Findings: In this research, the authors have formalised the context presentation for a business process with a focus on rules and entities to support context perception; proposed a system architecture to illustrate the structure and constitution of a supporting system for intelligent and situation aware business process management; developed real-time event elicitation and interpretation mechanisms to operationalise the perception of contextual dynamics and real-time responses; and evaluated the applicability of the proposed approaches and the performance improvement to business processes. Originality/value: This paper presents a framework covering process context modelling, system architecture and real-time event handling mechanisms to support situational awareness of business processes. The reported research is based on our previous work on radio frequency identification-enabled applications and context-aware business process management with substantial extension to process context modelling and process simulation. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.