Service Employees Research Articles

Harmonisation outcomes after insourcing services in South African higher education institutions

Orientation: The study was conducted in two higher education institutions that underwent insourcing and harmonisation of conditions of employment for support services.Research purpose: This study aims to determine how harmonisation shapes outcomes among support service labour in selected higher education institutions and to develop a management framework to harmonise conditions of employment following insourcing.Motivation for the study: The study capitalises on organisational complexities in higher education institutions that experienced insourcing of support services employees to address concerns assumed to be premised on historical exclusionary and exploitative employment practices. The study documents the experience and perceptions of institutional stakeholders in creating new knowledge on harmonisation following insourcing.Research approach/design and method: Employing a qualitative approach, 16 interviews were conducted with selected multi-level management and personnel directly involved in a harmonisation.Main findings: The study found tangible and intangible aspects, processes and other psychological perspectives on implementing harmonisation across employment levels. Furthermore, it was found that an efficient and effective harmonisation framework is required. Effective harmonisation for inclusion was viewed as being compromised by factors such as government intervention, and a lack of policy, framework and legislation to guide the process.Practical/managerial implications: Practical recommendations are provided for implementing harmonisation strategies following insourcing across employment levels in South African higher education institutions.Contribution/value-add: The study contributes to novel theory on harmonisation after insourcing and provides a management framework for harmonisation of conditions of employment.

Inclusive leadership, service innovation, and knowledge sharing: the roles of intrinsic motivation and sleep quality

ABSTRACT This research aims to study the associations between inclusive leadership, employee service innovation, and knowledge-sharing behaviours in the hospitality industry. We further examined the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of employee sleep quality. Applying a convenience sampling technique, we conducted an online research survey in three phases to collect data from 329 respondents. Our findings showed that managers’ inclusive leadership style is positively associated with workers’ intrinsic motivation, which in turn leads to employee service innovation behaviour and knowledge-sharing behaviour. Moreover, intrinsic motivation has been found as the mediating mechanism in the association between inclusive leadership and employee work outcomes. We further found that workers’ sleep quality moderates the association between inclusive leadership and employee outcomes such that poor sleep quality weakens this association. Our study offers substantial implications for the practitioners and scholars in the areas of sleep, leadership, and innovation and knowledge sharing behaviours in organizations.

Kompetensi Kerja, Kecerdasan Emosional, Lingkungan Kerja Fisik Terhadap Kinerja Pegawai pada Dinas Pemadam Kebakaran dan Penyelamatan Kota Yogyakarta

The research results show that there is a positive and significant influence of work competency on employee performance at the Yogyakarta City Fire and Rescue Service. There is a positive and significant influence of emotional intelligence on the performance of Yogyakarta City Fire and Rescue Service employees. There is a positive and significant influence of the physical work environment on the performance of Yogyakarta City Fire and Rescue Service employees. There is a positive and significant influence of work competency, emotional intelligence, and physical work environment on the performance of Yogyakarta City Fire and Rescue Service employees.

‘Helping academics shine’: An exploration into the relationships working-class professional services staff have with others in UK higher education

AbstractDrawing on research interviews with thirteen self-identifying working-class professional services employees in Russell Group institutions, this article attempts to develop a nuanced approach to understanding institutional cultures in UK universities, through the relationships within these establishments. Throughout the study, the tensions between working-class professional services or administrative staff and their counterparts working on academic trajectories became clear. Often highly qualified themselves, the participants in this study describe feelings relating to inadequacy and often negative attitudes proliferated towards them by academic staff. These relationships are framed within the perspective of three themes: academic hierarchies and superior academic value, treatment of staff, and language codes and patterns. In contrast, the participants in this sample often describe their relationships with their networks in professional services as highly positive, developmental, and enriching. This study focused on working-class professional services staff specifically. In the field of working-class research, professional services staff from working-class backgrounds have currently been largely omitted from research, which tends to focus on working-class students and working-class academics. Not all professional services staff identify as working-class, but due to this deficit of evidence in the research field, it is this group in particular that this paper focuses on. The findings in this paper suggest that the relationships these professional services staff have with academics are often fraught, difficult to manage, and at times, derogatory in their nature. This finding comes at the juxtaposition of the wider inclusion agenda UK universities pursue.

Analysis of the List of Risks Affecting the Verification of Measuring Instruments

The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the risks accompanying the process of verification of measuring instruments in metrological services. Risks are analyzed within the framework of a holistic risk and opportunity management system aimed at identifying and managing potential threats and opportunities affecting the achievement of the ultimate goals of the organization. Risk is defined as a possible negative event that could affect project performance and is evaluated by probability of occurrence and possible consequences. The objectives of risk and opportunity management are aimed at ensuring the achievement of the capabilities of the metrology service under conditions of uncertainty. Effective risk assessment of the process of verification of measuring instruments requires a comprehensive approach. In this regard, in the course of the study the regulatory framework was considered, regulating activities in the field of ensuring the uniformity of measurements, identified internal and external environmental factors affecting the process of verification of measuring instruments, identified stakeholders in the field of metrology services. Procedures for risk identification, analysis, assessment and management have been developed within the system. The list of typical risks and opportunities in the process of verification of measuring instruments in the relationship with environmental factors and possible consequences for the organization is compiled. The developed list of potential risks and opportunities is typical for the process of verification of measuring instruments and therefore can be recommended to employees of metrological services of enterprises. With its help it is possible to assess in advance the potential risks and opportunities in the metrological field and to achieve a more effective result by minimizing the negative consequences.

Pengaruh Kompetensi dan Krediblitas Pegawai terhadap Kinerja Pegawai Melalui Profesionalisme di Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Perumahaan Rakyat Provinsi Jambi

The aim of this research is to obtain an overview of employee competence, credibility, professionalism and performance of Jambi Province PUPR Service employees. To find out and analyze the direct and indirect influence of employee competence and credibility on professionalism in the Jambi Province PUPR Service. To find out and analyze the direct and indirect influence of employee competence and credibility on employee performance at the Jambi Province PUPR Service. To find out and analyze the influence of professionalism on employee performance at the Jambi Province PUPR Service. To determine and analyze the influence of employee competence and credibility through professionalism on employee performance. The type of data obtained in this research uses quantitative data sourced from primary data obtained by conducting research and questionnaires, secondary data can be obtained by reading, studying and understanding. through other media sourced from literature and library books or data from agencies related to the researched. In this research, the object of research is the Jambi Province PUPR Service. Employee competency and credibility simultaneously and partially have a significant effect on employee professionalism at the Jambi Province PUPR Service. Employee competency and credibility simultaneously have a significant effect on the performance of Jambi Province PUPR Service employees. Professionalism partially has a significant effect on the performance of Jambi Province PUPR Service employees. Employee competence and credibility together have a significant effect on professionalism and performance.

The role of incivility aggression on decent work: A local government sector case

Background: The issue of workplace incivility is noted as being one of the factors that affect the work of public service employees. However, empirically, the problem needs to be sufficiently addressed in the South African local context. There are growing calls to ascertain how workplace incivility affects the experience and the outcome of work.Aim: This study investigates the effects of incivility aggression on decent work among local government employees in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.Methods: The study followed a quantitative research design. Primary data were collected with the help of 425 self-administered questionnaires among employees in the Eastern Cape local government.Results: The study found that experienced workplace incivility significantly influences decent work. Further, instigated workplace incivility was found to influence decent work among employees significantly.Conclusion: Through the findings of the study, an appeal is made to policy makers and practitioners to implement policies that promote necessary good working conditions, social support, interdependence and fairness to counteract incivility aggression.Contribution: The study advances the understanding of incivility aggression within an organisational setting.

Exploring the Influence of Artificial Intelligence Usage on Ethical Decision Making Among Public Sector Employees: Insights into Moral Identity and Service Motivation

This study constructs a moderating mediation model to link public sector employees’ Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage with employees’ moral norms and ethical decision-making behaviors. Based on the theory of public service motivation, this study hypothesizes that the impact of AI usage on employees’ ethical decision-making behaviors acts through the mediating effects of employees’ service motivation, employees’ moral norms, and employees’ ethical perceptions and that the relationship between AI usage and employees’ service motivation, employees’ ethical norms, and employees’ ethical perceptions is moderated by the culture of the public organization. The selected data from 417 public sector employees in China supported most of the research hypotheses. The findings show that employee service motivation, employee moral norms, and employee moral cognition mediate the relationship between AI usage and employee ethical decision-making behavior. Public organization culture moderated the relationship between AI usage and employee service motivation, as well as AI usage and employee ethics. This study reveals the complex mediating and moderating relationships between AI usage and employees’ ethical decision-making behaviors in the public sector. It provides important theoretical and practical insights for further understanding and promoting public sector employees’ ethical behaviors in the era of AI.

The gloomy side of value co-creation for service employees

PurposeThere is a paucity of published research regarding service employees’ side of gloomy consequences emanating from value co-creation (VCC). The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the activities and interactions of VCC that can result in negative well-being for service employees.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a theory synthesis paper and, as such, seeks to accomplish conceptual integration of multiple theories and literature streams.FindingsThe origins of negative outcomes of VCC are infinite, and for the purpose of this study, the potential triggers of negative outcomes are limited to typical processes and behaviours initiated by VCC of services. For the purposes of this paper, dysfunctional customer behaviour, customer incivility, value co-destruction, boundary-spanning activities, organisational structure and policies and resource integration are investigated as sources of negative well-being for service employees.Research limitations/implicationsThe first limitation is the focus on offline transactions. Although the accepted definition of a service ecosystem provides for it to be a “self-adjusting system” a need could emerge for some formal management structure to cope with the increasing complexity of service transactions. A theoretical implication of this paper is that it includes a few lesser researched elements in the context of VCC. A starting point to deal with undesirable VCC interactions is to distinguish between undesirable interaction outcomes that originated inside the firm (own service employees) and those that originated from outside the firm (dysfunctional customers).Practical implicationsA first suggestion on how managers could deal with undesirable VCC interactions is to distinguish between undesirable interaction outcomes that originated inside the firm (e.g. own service employees, firm policies and structure) and those that originated from outside the firm (e.g. customer incivility and dysfunctional customers), as these two types of interaction outcomes require different interventions. Firms will need to bring together, study, analyse and assess all service employee experiences and challenges generated by VCC interactions. The frequency and significance of negative incidents should indicate the amount of effort and time to be spent on types of negative incidents.Social implicationsA challenge for service ecosystems is how they will adjust to comply with novel and traditional non-business objectives in the light of transformational, upliftment and other calls from society, whilst at the same time improving the well-being of the entire service ecosystem (i.e. providers, users and society). The improvement of well-being versus reducing suffering/losses/risks is not an option. The words of Hammedi et al. (2024, p. 159) “we move towards the conceptualization of service ecosystem health as a harmonious state in which private, public and planetary well-being merge” are exceptionally fitting here.Originality/valueThe negative consequences of VCC impact the well-being of service employees and are costly for a firm. Suggestions to prevent or limit the impact of undesirable or harmful consequences are made. This study is of value for service businesses, service academics and society. A greater awareness of the destructive nature of negative consequences of VCC will hopefully transpire from this study.

Multiple alliances and client participation during joint client meetings: an observational study

This article reports on a Dutch observational study to examine which interactions promoted multiple alliances and client participation during joint client meetings in social work and financial and employment services. It seeks to give professionals and organisations insight into how these meetings can be improved so that they deliver more for clients with multiple life issues. The central question was: ‘Which interactions (verbal and non-verbal) contribute to multiple alliances, and what place does client participation have in multiple alliances?’ An observational study with video recordings of joint client meetings (N = 20) was conducted. Analysis revealed insights into interactions, with a focus on five sensitising concepts: (a) team vision/goals; (b) shared decision making; (c) conflicts; (d) team support; and (e) open communication. Results indicate the central importance of the sequence of introducing the client, open communication, team support, team vision/goals and shared decision making in either facilitating or challenging the development of client-centred multiple alliances. Centralising the client’s voice proves difficult, and divisions between clients and the several professionals arose many times because the emotional attachment fell short. This article provides deeper insight into behaviours and interactions that are of the utmost importance and contribute to empowering multiple alliances during joint client meetings.

Which has a greater impact on brand satisfaction, human service or robot service as a waiter/waitress in the restaurant industry?

ABSTRACT This study was designed to identify how SERVQUAL forms brand relationship quality and brand loyalty with the moderating role of the type of service employees, such as robots and humans. The study collected data from 286 people who used restaurants where robots provide the services and from 300 people who used restaurants where people provide the services. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, this study employed structural equation modelling based on the AMOS program. The data analysis revealed that four of the five dimensions of SERVQUAL, which include tangibles, reliability, assurance, and empathy, help to enhance brand satisfaction. In addition, brand satisfaction has a positive influence on brand trust, brand commitment, and brand loyalty. The moderating role of the type of service employee in the relationship between utilitarian value and brand authenticity was identified.

Job satisfaction, employee engagement, and service employee performance: Basis for high-performance organizational culture framework

Job satisfaction, employee engagement, and service employee performance: Basis for high-performance organizational culture framework

Library and Information Sciences in Romanian higher education today

With 33 years of existence in Romania, higher education in the field of library and information science is today organised by four universities: University of Bucharest, Babes Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu and West University of Timisoara. In 2005, the Bologna Process was implemented in this field as well, with specialized education being organized in three specific cycles: undergraduate and master's studies, postgraduate studies and doctoral studies. Starting with this moment, we are assisting the attempt to standardise the curriculum, implicitly the set of skills and competences that graduates must have after graduation. This is supervised by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education; the competences and skills are listed in the register drawn up by the National Agency for Qualifications, and they are correlated with the ESCO register (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations). By analysing the most recent RAQAHE recommendations (updated in 2022), the ESCO and NAQ registers, we aim to highlight the topicality of the study programmes offered by the four universities. The discussions can be held, in essence, on how prepared graduates are for the labour market and what would be the next steps for a more frequent adaptation of the content of subjects in curriculum in order to take into account the views formulated by The European Network Of Public Employment Services in June 2023, as a contribution to the European Year of Skills. It allows us to formulate some conclusions on the current state of curriculum in Romania.

Effect of Organizational Reward System on Employee Service Delivery in Public Institutions in South East Nigeria

The study examined effect of organizational reward system on employee service delivery in Public Institutions in South East, Nigeria. The research design utilized a descriptive research approach. Data collected for the study were presented with descriptive statistic using tables, mean, standard deviations while the one sample t-test was used to test the hypotheses. The study revealed that Organizational reward system had a significant effect on employee productivity in public institutions in South East, Nigeria, that organizational reward system did have a significant effect on employee innovation and creativity in public institutions in South East, Nigeria and that organizational reward system had a significant effect on employee team work and collaboration in public institutions in South East, Nigeria. The study therefore recommends thatorganizational reward systems exert a significant and positive influence on employee performance in Public Institutions in South East, Nigeria.

Influence of Delegating Leadership on Employee Performance at the International Airports in Kenya

The type of stewardship engaged by the senior management of a firm has a direct bearing on the employee performance. There is no ideal style of leadership that fits all organizations and hence the top echelon has to select the most appropriate bearing that will drive the firm in the desired direction and bear the sought after outcomes. Several airports in Africa today continue to experience low employee performance as a result of the type of leadership selected by the top management and hence the need for diligence when picking the type of stewardship to be deployed in African Airports. This paper sought to establish the influence of delegation on employee performance at four international airports in Kenya, namely: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi; Moi International Airport, Mombasa; Kisumu International Airport and Eldoret International Airport. Positivism philosophy was preferred in this study because it advocates for the use of accurate and verifiable evidence that is free from assumptions and opinions of the researcher. A survey research was used to conduct the study. The respondents were first line; middle level and senior level managers of the five departments involved in the processing of air passengers within the four international airports in Kenya. These were; airport security employees, port health and quarantine services employees, passenger airlines operating within the four international airports in Kenya employees, immigration and border control employees and finally the customs services employees. Data was gathered from primary sources using self-administered structured questionnaires. The data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. From the Linear regression, the value of p was established as p<.05 (p value of 0.00 and ꞵ=0.474) and therefore the null hypothesis was rejected indicating that delegation has a significant impact on employee performance.

Relationships Between Corporate Image Perception and Service Compensation Perception: A Study on Boutique Hotels in Core Cappadocia

Businesses' primary goal in providing a service is to ensure that the service is delivered correctly. Nowadays, companies face a great deal of customer pressure and are confronted with increasingly conscious consumer expectations. Service employees facing pressure can lead to errors and shortcomings in the service delivery process. In the intensely competitive environment, businesses need to pay more attention to service recovery to differentiate themselves. The literature review suggests that customer complaints affect corporate image perception. Based on this, this study investigates the effect of corporate image perception on service recovery perception. The research is designed quantitatively and the survey technique is selected as the data collection method. Local and foreign tourists staying in boutique hotels in the Core Cappadocia were included in the study. Data was obtained from 388 tourists. The analysis results indicate that the service experiences of customers at the hotel significantly influence the corporate image. Additionally, it is emphasized that hotels should develop an effective recovery strategy and respond quickly and positively to customer complaints. This study highlights the need for hotels to improve service quality and strengthen recovery policies to increase customer satisfaction and gain a competitive advantage.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEXUS BETWEEN ABUSIVE SUPERVISION, KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOR, WORK DISENGAGEMENT, AND PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Supervisors' dispositions have not received enough attention as potential antecedents to employees' knowledge - hiding behaviors. Based on this, the current study investigates the impact of abusive supervision on knowledge-hiding behaviors, considering the mediating role of work disengagement in this relationship, as well as investigating the moderating role of perceived organizational support in the study model. Data was obtained from frontline service employees of five-star hotels in Sharm El-Sheikh and tourism companies in Cairo, Egypt, by a questionnaire that surveyed 298 employees. The collected data was scrutinized using the Smart PLS-structural equation modeling technique. The PLS-SEM statistics proved the highly positive and significant effect of abusive supervision on knowledge-hiding behavior and employees’ work disengagement, supported the mediating effect of work disengagement, and the moderating effect of perceived organizationa l support. The study highlights some practical implications for hotels, such as implementing integrated knowledge offering a digital library, continuous management and administrative skills training, and behavioral training to facilitate the gaining of knowledge and enhance staff skills, self-confidence, loyalty, and job security. It also strongly suggests adopting a strategy to monitor abusive supervisors through open communication channels, regularly conducting exit interviews to reduce turnover, and enhancing engagement, thereby preventing abusive practices.

PENGARUH DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA DENGAN MOTIVASI SEBAGAI VARIABEL MEDIASI PADA PEGAWAI DINAS PERHUBUNGAN KOTA BALIKPAPAN

This research aims to determine the direct influence of work discipline and motivation variables on the performance of Balikpapan city transportation service employees, as well as to determine the indirect effect of work discipline on performance with motivation as a mediating variable for Balikpapan city transportation service employees. This research used a sample of 53 respondents with a questionnaire data collection method and analysis tools assisted by PLS software. The results show that (1) work discipline directly has a positive and significant effect on the motivation and performance of Balikpapan city transportation service employees; (2) motivation directly has a positive and significant effect on the performance of Balikpapan city transportation service employees; (3) Indirectly, work discipline influences the performance of transportation service employees by mediating motivation

MBTI Personality Types and Their Impact on the Effectiveness of Employment Services and Career Guidance for Modern College Students

MBTI is a widely used psychological tool, which categorizes individual personality preferences based on four dichotomies. It is applied across diverse fields like career counseling and personal development it fosters collaboration and guiding individuals toward fulfilling career paths. There is growing need to understand how diverse MBTI personality types influence career related decisions and the overall success of employment services. The objectives of the study are to explore the relationship between MBTI personality types and college students' career choices, the efficacy of needs on career decision-making, and examine associated challenges and ethics. This research systematically analyzes studies published between 2015 and 2023, focusing on the impact of MBTI personality types on career outcomes. It highlights the diverse influence of MBTI personality types on college students, impacting their cross-cultural adjustment, occupational competence, coping skills, mental well-being and turnover intention. These insights contribute valuable knowledge to enhance personalized career guidance and employment services, facilitating better alignment with individual preferences for improved professional success and satisfaction.

Interrogating Performance Management on Employee Service Delivery in Federal Training Centres in South East Nigeria

Interrogating Performance Management on Employee Service Delivery in Federal Training Centres in South East Nigeria