Conditions of Radical Transformation in State‐Owned Enterprises*

This study analyses the key contributors to radical organizational change in five New Zealand state‐owned enterprises during their ownership transition between 1985 and 1995. Abrupt government reform policies, organizations' market positions, realization of rapid technological innovation, proactive managerial actions and the new owners' strategic intent are established as key conditions of radical change in state‐owned enterprises. We integrate our findings with institutional theory and resource dependency theory to argue that organizational dynamics in times of uncertainty depend on de‐institutionalization of old and institutionalization of new patterns of resource dependency.     

Innovation Propensity in the EU Candidate Countries

Innovation activities in transition economies generally lag behind developed economies. This is also the case in the latest group of EU candidate countries whose innovation performance lags behind EU-27 average. In this paper we analyze the innovation propensity of firms in EU candidate countries (Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey). The analysis relies on the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS 2009) data. By employing probit model we have identified determinants of innovation propensity in analyzed countries. The results point to external factors such as the subsidies, customer pressure to innovate, obstacles from high tax burdens, political instability and inadequate education of workforce as significant positive predictors. Based on the results, few innovation policy recommendations are proposed.     

Shiftwork tolerance and circadian rhythms in oral temperature and heart rate

Abstract

The study aimed at establishing differences in the circadian rhythm parameters of oral temperature and heart rate between three groups of workers matched by age: tolerant shiftworkers with good sleep quality and few psychosomatic and digestive complaints, intolerant shiftworkers with poor sleep quality and more psychosomatic and digestive complaints, and workers who had never worked in shifts. The study was performed at an oil refinery recreation centre where the subjects were isolated for three days. During that period they lived under constant conditions, i.e. their activities, timing and content of meals, ambient temperature and light were controlled. Hourly measurements of oral temperature and heart rate were performed over a 24-h period. The parameters of the physiological rhythms were estimated by means of the COSINA method. Generally, the differences between the groups were low and not statistically significant. The authors could find no difference in the amplitude and phase position between the tolerant shiftworkers unlike other authors. The difference between these results and those of others is likely to be due to the fact that earlier studies were performed in field conditions where many factors that could have masked the results were not controlled for.     

Is tolerance to shiftwork predictable from individual difference measures?

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating the most important relations between individual characteristics of shiftworkers and their subjective health complaints, obtained by cross-sectional and longitudinal procedures. A total of 604 shiftworkers and 185 young subjects who were going to enter shiftwork were examined by means of individual difference and subjective health questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered concurrently to the group of workers already involved in shiftwork. In the other group studied, the questionnaires were administered before they entered shiftwork, and subjective health was re-examined after the first and third year of work on shifts. More health complaints were reported by the group of older workers and those with longer shiftwork experience, with higher scores of neuroticism, hard-driving and competitiveness, speed and impatience, and rigidity of sleeping habits, and lower scores on relaxedness, efficiency and vigorousness. However, the correlations between these dimensions, when taken before entering shiftwork, and subjective health complaints obtained after a few years working on shifts were small or absent, indicating low validity of the individual difference measures for predicting subsequent health problems in shiftworkers.     

Is tolerance to shiftwork predictable from individual difference measures?

This study was aimed at evaluating the most important relations between individual characteristics of shiftworkers and their subjective health complaints, obtained by cross-sectional and longitudinal procedures. A total of 604 shiftworkers and 185 young subjects who were going to enter shiftwork were examined by means of individual difference and subjective health questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered concurrently to the group of workers already involved in shiftwork. In the other group studied, the questionnaires were administered before they entered shiftwork, and subjective health was re-examined after the first and third year of work on shifts. More health complaints were reported by the group of older workers and those with longer shiftwork experience, with higher scores of neuroticism, hard-driving and competitiveness, speed and impatience, and rigidity of sleeping habits, and lower scores on relaxedness, efficiency and vigorousness. However, the correlations between these dimensions, when taken before entering shiftwork, and subjective health complaints obtained after a few years working on shifts were small or absent, indicating low validity of the individual difference measures for predicting subsequent health problems in shiftworkers.     

Effects of screen filter on visibility of alphanumeric presentation on CRT and LCD monitors

In this paper, a research that deals with the problem of determining of the visibility of the alphanumeric presentation on CRT and LCD screens is presented, in conditions when the screen filters are used, and when they are not used. A methodology that can be used for determination of the visibility of alphanumeric symbols on VDT screens is presented. It is determined the existence of differences in visibility of alphanumeric presentations when screen filters are used, compared to conditions when they are not used. This difference was statistically significant, while the visibility of the presented alphanumeric symbols on CRT and LCD screens that use screen filters is lower than when they are not used. For this reason, the use of protective screen filter is recommended in circumstances where a very high level of glare exists, when the visual fatigue is common appearance and when a user performs a task that does not depend on the detection of stimuli whose RGB values are low.     

Shiftwork tolerance and 24-h variations in moods

Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify the differences in 24-h variations in moods between three groups of oil-refinery workers: tolerant shiftworkers, intolerant shiftworkers and workers who had never worked in shifts. Each group comprised 29 workers matched by age. The mood measurements were taken during a 24-h period every 2 h starting from 08:00 h. Results were scored for three scales: positive moods, negative moods and fatigue. The two-factor ANOVA revealed the significant main effect of groups for all three moods indicating differences at the average level of 24-h variations in all moods between workers who differed in the degree of tolerance to shiftwork. The significant main effect of time of day was also found for all moods while the reliable interaction between groups and time of day was observed for negative moods only, indicating a different shape of 24-h variations for non-shiftworkers in comparison to shiftworkers.     

Sleep and napping in young shiftworkers: A 5-year follow-up

Abstract

The present study examined sleep characteristics in young workers who entered rapidly rotating shiftwork for the first time and stayed on shifts for 5 years. Data were collected when the subjects had shiftwork experience of approximately 1.5, 3.5 and 5.5 years and a mean age of 22, 24 and 26 years. Data are presented showing significant differences in the main sleep durations between situations within the shift cycle and a small reduction in overall sleep over the observed period, primarily due to a sleep reduction on afternoon shift days. Data on sleep quality did not show any change over this early period of shiftwork exposure. In addition, napping strategies did not change, with the exception of a small increase in those taking naps on night-shift days between 1.5 years and 3.5 years of shiftwork exposure. At all the observed phases there were more young shiftworkers taking a nap on the morning shift days than on the night-shift days. The data suggested that reduced sleeps on morning and night-shift days were not compensated by taking a nap, but rather with an increase in main sleep duration on afternoon shift days and days off. A weak tendency for individuals to be relatively long or short sleepers irrespective of sleep conditions could be seen.     

Post-communist invocation of Europe: memorial museums’ narratives and the Europeanization of memory

ABSTRACT

How do post-communist memorial museums in East-Central Europe tell stories about double occupation (by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union), collaboration, the Holocaust and victim narratives, and how have these narratives been influenced by accession to the European Union? How do the museums reference trends set by Holocaust memorial museums? The article shows that one group of museums invokes Europe and the Europeanization of the Holocaust. Other museums seek to contain certain aspects of the memory of Nazism so that it cannot compete with stories of Soviet crimes. Both incorporate elements from Holocaust memorial museums, indicating how universalized Holocaust remembrance is.