Neither the dark side, nor the bright: IT professionals and telework in Argentina

The article considers the possibilities of the public-private partnership (PPP) in solving social-economic problems of African countries. The authors analyze the features and perspectives of the PPP mechanism in Africa for solving urgent social problems primarily in the sphere of public services. PPP means state-business cooperation in the spheres that are important for the population’s living standards and has large potential for the social development. Some African counties has already recognized the high efficiency of PPP and use this method for solving such problems as lack of social infrastructure and social development, low quality of the public utilities and poverty. The authors argue that the main sphere of implementing the PPP projects in Africa is the sector of information and telecommunication (IT). The majority of PPP infrastructure projects are implemented in the power economy (especially in Morocco and Egypt). Today, the African governments expand the PPP projects to the power networks development and construction, and to the renewable energy sources exploitation. The article provides some recent examples of the PPP projects in different spheres such as the development of social infrastructure in Africa, including education, public health and maintenance of public order. Due to the global trend of the infrastructure services digitalization and extension of information accessibility, African states take steps for the creation of electronic information portals for the PPP-projects (for example, in Nigeria and Ghana - with the World Bank assistance). Moreover, there are all-regional programs introduced to support initiative projects with the electronic platforms.

This study investigates the impact of Internet use, financial development, economic growth, and trade openness on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in selected European Union (EU) countries. To this end, pooled mean group (PMG) estimator is utilized for panel data from 2001 to 2014. Empirical findings suggest that Internet use has long-run relationship with CO2 emissions and lowering the environmental quality in EU countries. Also, the electricity consumption has a positive and significant effect on CO2 emissions. Moreover, interestingly, economic growth and financial development have a diminishing negative impact on CO2 emission. Heterogeneous panel Granger causality results suggest unidirectional causality running from Internet use to CO2 emissions. The finding implies that the European Union countries did not achieve the level of green information and telecommunication (ICTs) consumption. Overall, the innovative findings indicate that Internet use is raising the threat to the sustainable development. Thus, to curb and mitigate CO2 emissions from Internet use and electricity consumption is the need of time to maintain the sustainable development in EU countries.

Purpose: The aim of this article is to determine whether privileging a professional group in the national social security system - persons working at sea (officers and ratings) and therefore on the global labor market - is justifiable for the national economy. Privileges would be to adopt rules for collecting social security contributions a way different than the one commonly used. Its assessment would be taken from the economic point of view. Thus, the assessment of economic rationality of creating a gap in the social security system for people working at sea is the basic theme of the research presented in the article. Approach/Methodology/Design: The characteristics of the modern maritime labor market was based on a review of the literature. The analysis of reports on ship operating costs indicated a key element which is the cost of crew employment. A comparative analysis of crew employment costs resulting from the Polish social security system and a selected social system attractive for seafarers showed huge disproportions. The next step was to calculate the benefits and costs of applying non-common rules. These rules were prepared by Polish ship management companies. Findings: The results of the conducted research clearly show that the introduction of reliefs for Polish seafarers in the Polish legal system will not be a burden on the Polish budget, but it will also generate revenues that the budget is currently deprived of also. Practical Implications: The research results clearly show that the introduction of separate regulations for people employed on ships, i.e. on the global labor market, will generate favorable conditions for shipping operations in Poland and for registering ships under the Polish flag. This, in turn, thanks to high multipliers of shipping activities can translate into faster development of the maritime service and production sphere. Originality/Value: The results precisely indicate positive, from the economic point of view, effects of creating a gap in the social security system for seafarers, highly qualified employees of the global labor market.

This study aims to examine the implications of home working, digital stress, and the right to disconnect (R2D) across six Western Balkan economies in relation to EU standards, focusing on the legal and psychosocial challenges of work digitalization. The research employs a multidisciplinary analysis of legal frameworks and workplace practices, examining employee rights, employer obligations, occupational safety and health (OSH), work hours, GDPR compliance, and social security systems in the post-COVID-19 context. Findings reveal that while all studied economies demonstrate basic remote work regulations and data protection progress, significant variations in legislative quality exist. Serbia shows notable advancement in OSH regulations, and Albania has successfully modified telework laws. However, substantial gaps persist in working hours enforcement, R2D implementation, home office OSH guidelines, and remote worker training provisions. As practical implications for organizations and policymakers, the study suggests they must prioritize developing comprehensive remote work policies, establishing clear digital boundaries, and implementing effective OSH guidelines for home offices. In conclusion, the successful integration of remote work in Western Balkan economies requires harmonization with EU standards, strengthened enforcement mechanisms, and enhanced social dialogue to ensure fair, secure, and efficient remote working conditions.

PurposeBased on the job demands and resources (JD-R) model and conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper aims to develop and test a model that examines the moderating role of daily remote work hours and the mediating role of work–family conflict on the effects of excessive workload and time pressure on life satisfaction due to mandatory remote work arrangements.Design/methodology/approachHierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze data from 400 professionals working in the IT sector in Turkey. Scales developed by previous researchers were used to measure excessive workload, time pressure, work–family conflict and life satisfaction. While these four variables were measured with 19 statements, daily remote work hours were determined with a single question. The collected data were validated using confirmatory factor analysis, and the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Furthermore, the reliability and validity of the data were confirmed. Finally, PROCESS was applied to examine moderated mediation.FindingsAccording to the analysis results obtained from the above sample data, daily remote work hours moderate the mediating role of work–family conflict in the relationships between (1) excessive workload and life satisfaction and (2) time pressure and life satisfaction. In other words, the findings show that job-related demands arising from workload, time pressure and remote work hours prevent employees from meeting their family obligations, thereby increasing work–family conflict and ultimately affecting life satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe study can help employers, managers, human resource professionals, policymakers and researchers increase employees' life satisfaction due to the changes in job demands experienced by employees in companies that have transitioned to remote work practices. It can provide new approaches for dealing with dissatisfaction arising from work-related conflicts in Turkey's changing environment. The results can greatly facilitate the Turkish companies' efforts to create more innovative work arrangements and make an outstanding contribution to improving employee performance in Turkey's transition to remote work practices by focusing on reducing workload, time pressure and long working hours and creating employee-centered remote work models.Originality/valueAs per World Health Organization, the world will face frequent pandemic in the coming years, and thus organizations should be aware of remote work practices that will become widespread. This study provides a new perspective on the impact of employees' changing job demands on work–family conflict and life satisfaction during organizations' transition to new work arrangements in the face of the social crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also contributes to closing the research gap between job demands, work–family conflict and life satisfaction.

The article is devoted to the study and generalization of the theoretical foundations of the formation, development and transformations of the global labor market under the influence of various factors. The relevance of the research topic is due to the growing importance and prevalence of employment relations at the level of the world economy, as well as the need for the correct response to these processes by institutions implementing employment policy at both the national and interstate levels. The essence and differences between the concepts of “national labor market”, «international labor market» and «global labor market» are determined. The factors that determine and accelerate the processes of development of the global labor market are characterized, and they are grouped into economic, socio-political, and technological. The close relationship of the named factors and processes is emphasized, the result of which is the formation of a holistic system of social and labor relations on a global scale. The article also summarizes the positive and negative manifestations and consequences of the globalization of the sphere of social and labor relations. It is emphasized that the intensification of competition between qualified workers and its bringing to the world level is the most important positive consequence of the formation of the global labor market. It is also noted that the global labor market is much more characterized by market laws of free competition than national labor markets. The article pays special attention to determining the features of Ukraine's integration into the global labor market under martial law, intensive migration of the population abroad, and the spread of remote forms of employment. It is noted that the Ukrainian working-age population is becoming an active participant in the global labor market as a result of mass migration from the country due to military operations and a rapid reduction in the number of jobs within the country. The global labor market meets the employment needs of workers from Ukraine and the needs of international companies for qualified specialists.

There has been a lot of research work on Covid, but hardly any on impact of work from home (WfH) on workplace romance (WR). WR in organizations has been a controversial and debatable topic since early days. From the literature it was visible that researchers tried to analyze the impact of WR on organizational settings. In India the relationship is considered to be a forbidden taboo, especially in academic sector, where teachers are compared to the divine trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswar. But, with growing westernization and mushrooming of professional institutions with long working hours, the forbidden relationship was booming. Our study was carried out to examine the antecedents and consequences of workplace romance on various socio-economic variables, in Odisha before, during and post WfH scenario. A set of standard questionnaire on antecedents and consequences of WR was circulated. Data was collected from 230 samples consisting of 103 female and 127 male respondents from academic sector of Odisha. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of the data. The results of the study revealed that individuals got involved in workplace romance because of job insecurity (mostly in private institutes). Long working hour and outdoor activities promoted it. In the second phase that is during work from home same respondents were asked to predict whether work from home increases or decreases workplace romance. To which their reply was that it may reduce the workplace response. In the third and final phase i.e. post work from home the academicians (samples) were asked about the existing situation of Workplace romance. It was found out that employees continued to be engaged in workplace romance after work from home, as workplace romance was not only because of long working hours but also for their own life preferences. There was no positive relationship between workplace romance and efficiency/productivity, as many institutes were not able to capitalize on the relationship.

In this paper, we present a search and matching model of the labor market and use this as a device to explain the long-run variation in the aggregate hours worked in several OECD countries over the period 1980-2013. The model distinguishes between hours worked per employee (intensive margin) and the employment rate (extensive margin) and includes a tax/benefit system. This allows us to assess the impact of the observed time-varying heterogeneity of taxes, unemployment benefits, and workers' bargaining power on the two margins. Our method is based on an accounting procedure. Once it has been calibrated, we find that, for the ten countries of the sample, our search economy is able to explain the patterns of the two margins of aggregate hours worked over the 1980-2013 period, when it includes the cross-country heterogeneity of the labor market institutions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in people working from home (WFH), which is associated with negative mental and social effects. However, the cardiovascular effects are not well established. We aimed to assess the effects of WFH on cardiovascular risk factors and health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Companies that employ WFH were invited to study via occupational health specialists. WFH employees were sent an online self-reported questionnaire, which included demographics, WFH conditions, medical history, new-onset complaints, and health behaviors. Participants were asked to provide data on blood pressure, glucose, and lipid levels before and during the pandemic. Results: 208 participants completed the questionnaire, and 61 provided biological data. 72 participants reported to have undergone training for WFH conditions, and 87 were able to provide regular breaks. Weekly working hours have increased by 6 hours during the pandemic (49.6±13.8 vs. 43.8±12.1, p=0.001). Participants reported a median 7.5/10 satisfaction regarding WFH. 112 (53.8%) participants had a new complaint; the most common complaints were body weight gain/increased appetite (35.1%), insomnia/anxiety (27.9%), and physical inactivity/ musculoskeletal pain (18.3%). 120 (57.6%) participants had a weight increase. Most participants did not have changes in tobacco or alcohol consumption or exercise habits during the pandemic. Data from the biological data subgroup did not show significant changes in blood pressure, blood glucose, or lipid levels. Conclusion: WFH adversely affected modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and was associated with weight gain, increased work hours, a lack of workload planning, and increased anxiety. Although risk factors are adversely affected by WFH conditions, workers were satisfied with WFH. The training rate regarding WFH conditions was low; training about WFH should be provided to related employees, and occupational health specialists should focus on reducing specific risk factors that exist during WFH.

The traditional workplace has been changed by the global trend towards remote employment, which has been sparked by the COVID-19 epidemic and technology innovation. Human resource management (HRM) will be significantly impacted by this shift, especially in terms of worker morale, engagement, performance, and operational effectiveness. Knowing how remote and hybrid work arrangements affect employee performance from an HRM standpoint is crucial as businesses continue to assess the long-term feasibility of these arrangements. This study uses a multifaceted approach to investigate how distant work affects worker performance. It specifically looks into how HR practices, morale, engagement, and productivity have changed in the context of remote work settings. Additionally, it highlights the main obstacles and provides tactical suggestions for efficiently leading remote teams. Employee surveys, HR manager interviews, and a thorough literature study of academic journals and industry publications are all part of the research's primary and secondary data sources. In remote work situations, productivity—a top priority for employers—has produced a range of results. Productivity has either increased or stayed the same for a large number of knowledge workers. Increased autonomy, flexible work hours, and shorter commutes are all factors that lead to higher productivity. Nevertheless, not everyone experiences these advantages. The information shows differences by sector, occupation, and personal situation. Higher productivity is reported by workers in creative, IT, and consultancy positions as a result of uninterrupted work hours and adaptable workspaces. However, positions that necessitate close teamwork or physical presence frequently suffer in distant settings. Long-term remote work without formal accountability systems might also eventually result in performance fatigue and decreasing output. Other important indicators that are impacted by remote work are employee morale and engagement. Communication, feedback, acknowledgement, and team connectivity are all strongly related to engagement. It can be difficult to keep morale high when there is little physical interaction, especially when it lasts for a long time. Numerous remote workers express feeling alone or cut off from their groups and company culture. Performance may suffer as a result of disengagement brought on by this emotional distance. Employee engagement levels have been maintained or even raised by companies that have made investments in peer recognition initiatives, casual online contacts, and frequent virtual check-ins. The study emphasises how crucial psychological safety, inclusivity, and trust are to maintaining remote workers' motivation. From the standpoint of strategic human resource management, companies have had to adapt important procedures like training, performance reviews, and onboarding to remote settings. Efficient virtual onboarding procedures have been crucial in assisting new hires in becoming productive and feeling at home right away. Preboarding meetings, online introductions, digital document access, and formal mentorship programs are examples of these procedures. Many businesses have switched from time-based metrics to outcome-based evaluations for performance reviews. Using video chats and performance dashboards, HR managers stress the value of establishing specific, quantifiable goals and holding regular feedback sessions. Even with these advancements, there are still a number of difficulties when workin

Remote work refers to working some portion of one’s work hours from a location that is not a main, shared office space. Initial discussions of remote work began as early as the 1970s, but increases in technology, particularly the home computer, greatly increased the availability of remote work. The biggest change in the remote work landscape occurred in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic, when an unprecedented number of workers worked from home due to shelter-in-place orders. Post-pandemic, many organizations are offering hybrid work arrangements, where employees work remotely a few days per week. There is considerable interest in developing best practices surrounding a remote and hybrid work force, and the research literature is still burgeoning. To date, main areas of focus have been on individual (e.g., job satisfaction, organizational commitment, career advancement) and organizational (e.g., turnover, profit) outcomes associated with working remotely compared to working a standard arrangement. Research findings on remote work are often inconsistent. On the one hand, remote work increases flexibility and autonomy which improves performance and job attitudes, but at the same time can blur boundaries and increase professional isolation which harms well-being and work-nonwork management. Part of these mixed findings may be due to the presence of several key boundary conditions. For example, remote work experiences seem to vary considerably based on the extent of remote work, remote worker personality, and the nature of the job. Lastly, there is a small body of research on effective supervisory practices for remote workers, with findings suggesting that although core leadership behaviors matter, there are also unique skills that effective remote work managers must possess.

We need to make sure telecommuting does not exacerbate gender disparity

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed where paid work is done. Workers able to do so have been required to work remotely. We draw on survey data collected in October 2020 from a nationally representative sample of 3,017 remote workers, as well as qualitative survey data collected from 231 remote workers, to examine perceived changes in work hours from before to during the pandemic. Results indicate women are at greater risk of change (either a major decrease or a major increase)—rather than stability—in work hours. Gender also intersects with caregiving, race/ethnicity, prior remote work experiences, and socioeconomic status to shape changes in hours. Women and men in the sandwich generation, as well as women (but not men) with pre-school children, are the most likely to report a decrease in work hours, whereas women with older children at home or caring for adults (but not both) are the most likely to have an increase in hours. Remote working Black women and women moving into remote work are more likely to experience a major increase in hours worked, even as Hispanic women and Black men are the most likely to report somewhat of a reduction in work hours. Gender also intersects with SES, such that women without a college degree are more likely to have a decrease in work hours, while women with an advanced degree and women managers report a considerable increase in work hours. Qualitative data further illuminate why work hours change or remain stable for remote workers during COVID-19.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate the ways in which states are still significant actors in creating and shaping the nature and characteristics of global labour markets. My argument is demonstrated through an empirical case study of the global labour market for British seafarers. Problem Investigated: The last 30 years has witnessed a decimation of the number of employed British seafarers, particularly at lower rank levels, such as ratings. I contend that despite Britain's long and rich maritime history, the British state has not acted meaningfully to reverse the decline of British seafarers. The lack of meaningful action I contend is an attempt to crew British owned ships with cheaper seafaring labour from Asia, particularly south east Asia. In so doing the British state has contributed to the decline of a once thriving labour market. There has simultaneously been an upsurge in the employment of seafarers of other nationalities, and thus the creation of new labour markets in countries such as the Philippines. This paper is an attempt to understand some of the factors responsible for the decline of the British labour market for seafarers. Methodology and Approach: This paper is the outcome of a larger qualitative study undertaken for my doctoral thesis in industrial sociology which examined the transformation of the global labour market for South African, Filipino and British seafarers. The methodology consists of in depth interviews with maritime officials and trade union leaders. These were conducted in person in London, United Kingdom between 2005 and 2008. These interviews are supported by extensive literature and documentary research, to validate, support and test claims made by my interviewees. Implications and Value of the Research: The theoretical contribution of this paper is to reinsert the state more critically into the literature on labour markets. Empirically, seafaring labour markets are largely ignored by the disciplines of both sociology and commerce. The paper attempts to fill this gap by investigating a much neglected occupational sector. Very little empirical work is being done by South African researchers on global labour markets outside South Africa. This paper is therefore primarily addressed to a South African audience. Conclusion: The paper demonstrates that the state has to be a willing and active partner in ensuring employment security of its worker-citizens in global labour markets. The private sector and organised labour by themselves are unable or unwilling to prevent massive job losses without state intervention. As increasing numbers of workers join global labour markets, states need to become more involved rather than less involved in ensuring the stability of employment for their citizens.

ABSTRACTThis epidemiological cohort study, based on Finnish public sector data, investigated the associations between objective working hour characteristics and work–life conflict in day and shift work. The comprehensive data of hospital workers (n = 8 931, 92% women, average age 45 years), consisted of survey responses from 2012, linked with the payroll data of working hour characteristics from 91 days preceding the survey. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the associations between working hour characteristics and experiencing work–life conflict often/very often. The analyses were adjusted for age (< 39, 40–49 and >50 years), sex, level of education, marital status, number of small (0–6 years) and school-aged (7–18 years) children, and the overall stressfulness of the life situation. We also conducted stratified analyses of age and sex on the basis of significant interactions. Difficulties in combining work and life were more often associated with shift work without night shifts and shift work with night shifts than with day work (41% and 34 versus 27%; OR for shift work with night shifts 1.78, 95% CI 1.59–2.00, OR for shift work without night shifts 1.42, 95% CI 1.26–1.60). A high proportion (> 25%) of long (> 40h, (OR 1.26, 95% 1.14–1.39) and very long (> 48h, OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15–1.49) weekly working hours were associated with work–life conflict, and in the stratified analysis, the latter was also true among women (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.25–1.89). Of the unsocial working hour characteristics, a relatively large amount (> 10% of all shifts) of evening (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.41–1.72) and night shifts (OR 1.46, 95%CI 1.32–1.61), a high proportion (> 25% of all shifts) of quick returns (< 11h) (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.31–1.63), and weekend work (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.31–1.58) were associated with work–life conflict. A large amount of single days off (> 25% of all days off) was associated with work–life conflict among men (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.11–3.25), but not in the whole sample. When the two types of shift work were analyzed separately, shift work without night shifts and very long work weeks had higher odds (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.20–1.80) of work–life conflict than shift work with night shifts. Conversely, weekend work and evening shifts had higher odds of work–life conflict among shift workers with night shifts (OR 1.74, 95% 1.55–1.96; (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.40–1.77) than among those without night shifts. To conclude, this study shows that shift workers with and without night shifts more often have difficulties combining work and life than day workers. Several unsocial working hour characteristics, including long work weeks, evening and night shifts, weekend work, and quick returns, are associated with work–life conflict.