The Effects of Attendance-Contingent Feedback and Praise on Attendance and Work Efficiency

Absenteeism continues to be a major problem for large segments of business and industry. Operant procedures have been used successfully to correct this problem, but most programs have used various forms of monetary reinforces. Applied research also has yet to examine the relationship between attendance and employee productivity. The present research uses feedback and social reinforcement to improve attendance, and examines attendance levels as they relate to worker efficiency. The findings of this study suggest that although there might be a slight increase in individual efficiency when absenteeism decreases, the relation between attendance and worker efficiency is not simple.     

Testing whether reduced cognitive performance in burnout can be reversed by a motivational intervention

It has been suggested that the motivation to spend effort is decreased in burnout patients, resulting in reduced cognitive performance. A question that remains is whether this decreased motivation can be reversed by motivational interventions. We investigated this by examining the effect of a motivational intervention on cognitive performance. We presented 40 burnout patients in The Netherlands and 40 matched healthy controls with a complex attention task. As expected, in a first block of trials the performance of the burnout patients was poorer than that of healthy controls. Subsequently, we provided the participants with fake positive feedback about their performance and announced that we would financially reward those who performed best in a subsequent block of trials. Contrary to the healthy controls, the burnout patients did not improve their performance and experienced more aversion to spend effort. The study demonstrated that impaired cognitive performance in burnout patients could not be reversed by motivational interventions, which is in line with contemporary theories on burnout that state that physiological changes in burnout may underlie a relatively long-term decrease in motivation. The implication of these results is that in practice employers and therapists might need to accept that there could be a reduction in cognitive performance in employees with burnout.     

Implications and Applications of a Behavior Systems Perspective

Improving employee performance in an organization seems to cycle back and forth among six broad approaches. Rather than debate which approach is most effective, the argument is made that each approach is simply one aspect of a larger behavior system. The ultimate answer, then, is to integrate these approaches within an overarching behavior systems perspective. A potential behavior systems perspective is described as well as its implications for employee performance improvement. An expansion of OBM graduate curricula is recommended that includes more diverse improvement strategies.     

Improving the Quality of Staff and Participant Interaction in an Acquired Brain Injury Organization

Weekly observations of direct-care staff in a facility for persons with brain injury yielded less than optimal interactional style with facility residents. Following an observational baseline, staff were asked to self-rate a 15-min video sample of their interaction behavior with participants on their unit. They were then asked to compare their self-ratings to those of a supervisor, as well as view a video exemplar of appropriate positive interaction behavior. Elements of their interactional style were highlighted and specific feedback was provided on how to improve their performance. Interaction style was then reevaluated via an unobtrusive observer and yielded positive gains for all participants. Subsequent on-the-job feedback sustained performance gains.     

Negotiating new meanings of ‘leader’ and envisioning culturally informed theories for developing African-American women in leadership roles: an interview with Patricia S. Parker

The aim of the human resources function (management and development) in the organizational context is to ensure the availability of competent, motivated and learning employees to the firm to facilitate the achievement of its business objectives. The HR function has been quite successful in performing its role in terms of developing capacity, knowledge, attitude and skills of employees. However, in the recent past a shift has been taking place in the expected model role from both the HR function and the HR manager. This new role is that of active partner along with other functionaries like production, finance, marketing, etc., equal if not more important. Therefore, HR is no longer a passive function. This has two implications for the HR managers and practitioners. First, it will require the HR function and persons dealing with it to provide more inputs related to human resources at the strategy formulation level. Second, it will require HR to demonstrate that investment in human resources contributes to business results. However, there is a paucity of empirical work in our country to support the assertion that investments in HR have an impact on firm performance. It is in this context that the present study of eighty-four Indian firms was carried out to answer the question of whether investment in HR contributes to firm performance.     

Corporate social responsibility in the board room – when do directors pay attention?

When do board directors pay attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues? Board directors have traditionally focused on maximizing shareholder profit and viewed corporate governance narrowly as a way to meet this goal. They have paid little or no attention to CSR issues because they see CSR as a contrast to profit maximization. We argue in this article that companies can no longer ignore CSR. We propose that three conditions must be met in order for boards to pay attention toCSR. First, the board must have a mindset that considers CSR as contributing value to the firm. Second, the board must have relevant competences that enable members to understand CSR issues. Third, compensation of top-level management should reflect CSR performance. The first two conditions are directly linked to human resource development because, in order to embrace the specific challenges that CSR possesses, board members must develop an understanding of the CSR field and related challenges and opportunities for the company.     

Re-conceptualising talent management and development within the context of the low paid

Those working in organisations have choices to make associated with not only the goods and services they produce but also their wider social and economic impact. The number of employees in low-skilled/low-paid jobs and the high proportion of companies adopting business strategies based on low-specification goods and services are a concern for many developed and developing economies. Addressing this problem is not traditionally the concern of Human Resource Development; however, we argue that through exploring the role that a wider, more balanced approach to Sustainable Talent Management and Development (S-TMD) may play within the context of the low skilled in the UK provides a crucial link to enhancing an organisation’s performance and responsibility to society. At the heart of this approach lies a shift to appreciate the collective endeavour of work practices, an enhanced role for stakeholders and identification of, and participation in skills ecosystems to support sustainable development. The paper identifies the opportunity for S-TMD to move from a predominantly individualist, managerial and unitarist understanding to one grounded in the value of tacit and embedded development processes undertaken to reflect a pluralist, multi-voiced approach to understanding of a skills ecosystem.     

中国商品期货隔夜信息对日间交易的预测能力

鉴于供应管理对装配系统的重要意义,本文以VMI管理策略和成本共担机制为背景,研究了信息封闭和信息共享两种环境中多供应商对单制造商的库存博弈问题,以及供应商决策对于零部件库存量和供应链利润分配的影响。此外,通过对比集中模式,给出了提高分散模式绩效的两种途径。研究结果表明:在信息封闭时,供应商对较小库存者的不合理预期会导致决策失误,从而同时损害到制造商和供应商的收益。在保证各参与方期望利润不减和博弈均衡解存在的前提下,信息共享和成本共担比例的调节可以提高分散模式的绩效。如果分散决策能够协同为集中决策,那么在延误成本较高时,集中模式应该采取等量的零部件库存策略,而在延误成本较低时,非等量库存策略会更优,这一结论细分了分散模式向集中模式的改进方向。     

国有控股、机构投资者与真实活动的盈余管理

前期基于应计项目操控的研究发现,国有控股、机构投资者有助于抑制盈余管理,从而有利于改善公司治理.目前,许多学者发现公司更倾向于实施真实活动的盈余管理,那么国有控股、机构投资者是否也有利于抑制真实活动的盈余管理?本文以中国上市公司为样本对这个问题进行了研究.结果发现,国有控股公司的真实盈余管理水平显著高于非国有公司;机构投资者能在一定程度上抑制公司的真实盈余管理行为,但国有公司的机构投资者对真实盈余管理的抑制作用显著小于非国有公司.上述结果表明,从真实盈余管理的角度来说,国有控股不利于公司治理;机构投资者能够改善公司治理,但其作用在国有公司中受到一定程度限制.本文的研究结论对已有的国有控股治理作用的文献是一个校正性的补充,对我国国有企业的治理和改革有一定程度的借鉴意义.