Operational Employees Research Articles

COVID-19 Exposure & Reporting for Work: The Case of Central Florida's Theme Park Operations Employees

This exploratory study describes circumstances during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic where theme park operation employees had to make the difficult decision to stay home to quarantine or go to work sick. Using 35 semi structured interviews with Central Florida theme park operations employees, the research results reveal emerging qualitative themes regarding the employees' ability to chose between staying home to quarantine or going to work sick. The themes include challenging financial situations, fear of layoffs/furloughs, and lack of sick time being major obstacles for theme park employees to stay home from work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peranan Penerapan HRIS dan Kepuasan Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan di PT Pisma Putra Textile

<p>The study tested the HRIS variable and job satisfaction on employee performance variables at PT Pisma Putra Textile. The study used a descriptive and qualitative approach, data processing using the SPSS application, data collection techniques using questionnaires, research instruments using a Likert scale and direct interviews with the Head of HRD, IT division, and operational employees of PT Pisma Putra Textile. Data analysis techniques through validity, reliability, and multiple regression analysis. Respondents were 125 employees. This study shows a significant relationship between the HRIS variable and the employee performance variable with a positive coefficient value of 0.333 and a significant relationship between the job satisfaction variable and the employee performance variable with a positive coefficient value of 0.324. In addition, there is a significant relationship between the HRIS variable and the job satisfaction variable on the employee performance variable with an F-count value of 31,395 and a significance value of 0.000. Thus, the conclusion of this study shows that the HRIS variable and job satisfaction can support improving employee performance, meaning that the first hypothesis (H1) and the second hypothesis (H2) are accepted. Performance can be measured by the results of the work being close to perfect, the results of the work according to the target, effective in completing the work and the work given by the leadership is carried out with full responsibility. While the results of interviews with HRD managers at PT Pisma Putra Textile, the ability of employees to work together with teams according to their respective main tasks in completing work on time can improve employee performance.</p><p> </p>

Analysis of Outsourcing System and Work Motivation on Employee Performance

Background - Currently, many companies are implementing outsourcing systems for their company's HR management. Outsourcing is a company that uses human resources from other parties (external) to carry out work activities that are usually handled by internal staff and resources. The problem that exists is because the outsourcing system affects the performance of employees at a food ingredients factory in Cilegon, where there are still high complaints from clients regarding the decline in the performance of forklift operator employees placed in their company. This shows the inaccuracy at work leads to a lack of employee motivation. Employee motivation problems can be the cause of low employee performance in a company.
 Purpose - The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the effect of the outsourcing system on employee performance and (2) to see the effect of work motivation on employee performance.
 Originality/Value - This study tested 2 hypotheses with data sources originating from respondents of outsourcing employees of PT. AMP, a division of forklift operators at the Cilegon grocery factory, analyzed the influence of the outsourcing system and work motivation on employee performance in the company.
 Research Limitations - information, primary and secondary data in this study were only obtained from PT. AMP
 Design/methodology/approach - The population and sample of this study were all outsourced employees of PT. The AMP division of forklift operators placed 30 people in a food ingredients factory in Cilegon. This study uses a quantitative approach method. The data collection technique used primary data in the form of a questionnaire. The data analysis technique of this research used the Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) method.
 Findings - Based on the results of the direct influence hypothesis research, it is known that the outsourcing system has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. And motivation has no significant effect on employee performance

Assessment of readiness for launching cloud computing services: The case of Ethio‐Telecom in Ethiopia

AbstractA nation's telecom system plays an important role in its socio‐economic development. This case study assesses the technical and organizational readiness of Ethio‐Telecom to implement Cloud Computing services to serve Africa's fast‐growing demand for Cloud Computing. The study used the STOPE (Strategy, Technology, Organization, People, and Environment) model as a theoretical base. A structured survey questionnaire was used to gather data from 100 mid and operational level employees. An interview was conducted with top‐level officials to elicit information about the strategic direction of the company. We used structural equation modeling software for analyses and model testing. The SMART PLS results point to the appropriateness of the STOPE model for the assessment of Ethio‐Telecom's Cloud Computing readiness. Additional analysis revealed that Ethio‐Telecom's Strategy, Technology, Organization, and Environmental dimensions need only minor improvements while the People dimension requires significant improvements to successfully implement Cloud Computing services. We mapped interview and document analysis data to the STOPE model constructs. This qualitative approach further validated the results we got in the quantitative analysis. We believe the mixed methodology, SMART PLS for quantitative analysis and e‐Learning Readiness Survey to determine individual dimension readiness, and quantitative analysis, used in this study have added to the body of knowledge.

Effect of Big Five Personality and Reward on Work Performance of Operational Unit Employees with Job Satisfaction as a Mediating Variable at PT. KAI Daop VI Yogyakarta

This study aims to examine and analyze: (1) the influence of the big five personality, reward, job satisfaction on work performance, (2) the influence of the big five personality on job satisfaction, (3) the effect of reward on job satisfaction, (4) job satisfaction in mediating the influence of the big five personality on work performance, (5) job satisfaction in mediating the effect of rewards on employee work performance. The sample in this study were operational employees at PT. KAI DAOP VI Yogyakarta as many as 200 people. Data collection was done by using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Smart PLS 3.27 program and the SPSS version 28.00 program. The results of the study show that the big five personalities, especially conscientiousness and openness to experience, have a significant effect on employee work performance. The reward, both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards have a significant effect on employee work performance. Big five personality, only extraversion and neuroticism have a significant effect on employee job satisfaction. Reward (extrinsic and intrinsic) has a significant effect on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was only proven to significantly mediate the effect of neuroticism on employee work performance. Job satisfaction has been shown to significantly mediate the effect of rewards (extrinsic and intrinsic) on the work performance of operational employees at PT. KAI DAOP VI Yogyakarta.

Infection preparedness of community health workers: implications for maternal and neonatal health services in Pakistan.

This study aimed to (i) identify community health workers' (CHWs) perceived satisfaction for maternal and neonatal health services, with respect to (1) socio-demographic characteristics; (2) coronavirus preparedness; (3) coronavirus responsiveness; and (4) employee satisfaction and (ii) investigate the interplay among study variables to identify the role of direct effects and mediation. Women CHWs are salient providers for maternal and neonatal services at the primary level, especially in conservative regions. Service delivery is a valuable indicator for mother and newborn wellbeing. There is need for empirical evidence to understand how CHWs may be supported in delivering maternal and neonatal health services during pandemics. Bivariate regression was used to identify the lower odds for CHWs' perceived satisfaction for maternal and neonatal health services. In addition, structural equation modeling was used to investigate if coronavirus responsiveness and employee satisfaction as mediating variables influence the relationship between coronavirus preparedness and maternal and neonatal health services. Data were collected telephonically from 350 CHWs. The sample was representative of 35 districts of Punjab, which is the most populated province in the country. We found thirty predictors with respect to coronavirus preparedness, coronavirus responsiveness and employee satisfaction which contribute to lower odds of satisfaction for maternal and neonatal health services. We also found that coronavirus preparedness has a direct effect on maternal and neonatal health service satisfaction (β = .242, P < .001) and an indirect effect on maternal health satisfaction (β = .242, P < .001) via the mediation of employee satisfaction. We conclude with four critical recommendations to support CHWs in delivering optimal services, comprising of education and training, operational support, public acceptance, and employee support and benefits. The findings are important for the planning of primary health services and governance support for CHWs and poor women clients in Pakistan and other developing countries.

Evolution of Agile Practices during a M &amp;amp; A of a European and a Chinese Company

The volatile environment is nothing new, but in the last two years, when the world had to cope with a pandemic, it was the agile companies that were able to survive or even make a profit. More than ever, the business is done through projects and the practices used make the difference between being fast and agile or being a follower. The present work analyzes the presence of agile practices in the context of the merger and acquisition of a European and a Chinese company in Europe. For the assessment of the volatility of companies’ environment before and after the merger, the agility assessment framework by Z. Zhang and H. Sharifi will be used. Through the questionnaire filled in by top and middle management as well as operational level employees, it will be evident what level of agility the companies needed before and after the merger to prosper. One level lower, the agility level inside departments will be reviewed with interviews, where the presence of agile practices in projects run before, during and after the merger, using the Agile Adoption Framework - SIDKY Agile Management Index & a 5 Stage implementation process, will be assessed. The research aims to evaluate the gap between the current and the needed level of agility at the country level, as well as the evolution of agile practice in projects during the process of the two companies coming together. In the end, providing the answer to what is the highest possible level of agility the merged company can achieve.

Training and Its Impact on the Performance of Operational Level Employees in Selected Apparel Companies

Training and Its Impact on the Performance of Operational Level Employees in Selected Apparel Companies

The Role of Motivation and Work Discipline on Employee Performance in the Operator Section At PT. Sigma Mitra Sejati Cilegon

This study aims to determine the role of motivation and work discipline on the performance of production operator employees at PT. Sigma Mitra Sejati Cilegon City. The method used in this research is the associative descriptive method. Data analysis techniques used include Normality Test, Classical Assumption Test, Determination Test and Hypothesis Testing. This study indicates that motivation has a significant effect on performance, work discipline has a substantial impact on performance, and motivation and work discipline substantially impact performance

Awareness and Adoption of Cloud Accounting in Small and Medium Enterprises in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Analysis of Before and After Covid-19 Pandemic

Accounting generally plays a vital role in businesses. Accountants are required to handle gigantic data for achieving their task. In case data must be gathered from internally and externally. On this COVID-19 outbreak time, Organization’s strategic and tactical management employees started to work from home while operational employees worked onsite. So, organizations are willing to be aware and adopt a new platform to interconnect all of them. Organizations pursuing a model, where employees easily collect access and alter the data, making decisions, communicating and controlling the overall process through a single platform. The development of the cloud concept is a remarkable solution for this information management system. The concept of cloud accounting, an innovative model for accountants to collect and store accounting data, run accounting reports and share information effectively. This study's main objective is to explore the level of awareness, adoption, and experience of using cloud accounting among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. All SMEs listed under Sri Lanka Chamber of Small and Medium Industries selected as the sample. This study used questionnaires to compare the awareness level of this emerging technology, to what extent they utilize this technology and the user experience of the technology before and after this pandemic. The analysis suggests that there is a significant mean difference of awareness and adoption of cloud accounting before and after COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, 35% of the SMEs started to use cloud accounting. However, their experience of using cloud accounting remains unchanged in both periods. Moreover, 8% of the SMEs are newly adopting this technology in this pandemic time. So, this study urges digitalization in the field of accounting support to the business in this outbreak time. Overall study recommends SMEs be able to enhance the performance through cloud accounting.

Effect of transformational leadership on organizational commitment through the interaction of psychological empowerment

The present study was aimed at examining the association between transformational leadership and organizational commitment, and the mediating role of psychological empowerment in the association between them. Even though there are plenty of empirical studies on the association between leadership styles and organizational commitment in various contexts, there is inadequate evidence in the Sri Lankan context. Considering the gap in the current literature, the study was conducted on the Development Officers working in the public sector organizations in the Jaffna region. For this purpose a sample of 235 Development Officers attached to the District Secretariat and Divisional Secretariats was selected based on random sampling method. The transformational leadership was measured using MLQ- Form 5x (Bass &amp; Avolio, 2000), organizational commitment was measured using OCQ (Meyer &amp; Allen, 1997) and empowerment was measured using Empowerment Scale (Spreitzer, 1995). Exploratory factor analysis and Confirmatory factor analysis were performed to validate the data and then the constructs were integrated in the structural equation model to find the relationships among the variables. The results revealed that the direct effect of transformational leadership on organizational commitment is not significant (b=.011, p&gt;.05). The effect of transformational leadership on psychological empowerment is significant (B=.621, p=.001). The results confirm that psychological empowerment doesn’t act as a mediator in the effect of transformational leadership on organizational commitment (direct effect and indirect effect are not significant). As the present study concludes transformational leadership is not effective in promoting commitment of Development Officers working at District and Divisional Secretariats, future research should cover other public sector and private sector organizations. As the operative level employees’ perception of their superiors’ (first line leaders) leadership style was studied, future studies need to focus on the middle and top level leaders’ leadership styles and the resultant outcomes.

The Challenge of Employee Retention in Medical Practices across the United States: An Exploratory Investigation Into the Relationship between Operational Succession Planning and Employee Turnover.

Employee turnover is a growing challenge for health-care providers delivering patient care today. US population demographics are shifting as the population ages, which leaves the field of health care poised to lose key leaders and employees to retirement at a time when patient care has grown more complex. This means health care will lose its core of key employees at a time when skilled leadership and specialized knowledge is most needed and directly impacts health care's ability to deliver quality care. Operational succession planning (OSP) may be one solution to manage this looming challenge in health care, as the process identifies and develops the next generation of leadership. Thus, this exploratory national study used a quantitative and cross-sectional design to examine the relationship between OSP and employee turnover. Demographic and 10-point Likert scale data were collected from n = 66 medical practices, using an online survey instrument. Data were analyzed using various descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Distribution (frequency and chi-square) analyses of the study sample, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression analyses were performed across seven demographic characteristics of the medical practices: Specialty, Ownership Structure, Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) Physicians, Number of FTE Clinical Employees, Number of FTE Nonclinical Employees, Number of FTE Employees Left Position, and Region. Study results provided statistically significant evidence to support the relationship between OSP and employee turnover, highlighting that OSP was associated with lower employee turnover. The finding suggests that OSP can serve as an effective mechanism for increasing employee retention.

Leveraging business intelligence systems to enhance management control and business process performance in the public sector

PurposeRecent research and policy reports indicate public sector organizations struggle to leverage information technology-based performance measurement systems and fail to effectively evaluate performance beyond financial metrics. This study aims to focus on organizational factors that influence the assimilation of business intelligence (BI) systems into integrated management control systems and the corollary impact on improving business process performance within public sector organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe complete Australian client list was acquired from a leading BI vendor; and the authors surveyed all public sector organizations, receiving 226 individual responses representing 160 public sector organizations in Australia. Using latent construct measurement, structural equation modeling (SEM)-partial least squares is used to test the theoretical model.FindingsWhen top management promotes knowledge creation among the organization’s operational level employees and support their activities with strong BI infrastructure, the same knowledge and infrastructure capabilities that are critical to assimilation in private sector hold in the public sector. However, public sector organizations generally have difficulty retaining staff with expertise in new technologies and attracting new innovative staff that can leverage smart systems to effect major change in performance measurement. When top management effectively manages knowledge importation from external entities to counteract deficiencies, public sector organizations effectively assimilate BI knowledge into performance measurement yielding strong process performance.Research limitations/implicationsWhen top management promotes knowledge creation among the organization’s operational level employees and support their activities with strong BI infrastructure, the same knowledge and infrastructure capabilities critical to assimilation in the private sector hold in the public sector. However, public sector organizations generally have difficulty retaining staff with expertise in new technologies and attracting new innovative staff that can leverage smart systems to effect major change in performance measurement. The research extends the theory behind organizational absorptive capacity by highlighting how knowledge importation can be used as an external source facilitating internal knowledge creation. This collaborative knowledge creation leads to affective assimilation of BI technologies and associated performance gains.Practical implicationsThe results provide guidance to public sector organizations that struggle to measure and validate service outcomes under New Public Management regulations and mandates.Originality/valueThe results reveal that consistent with the philosophies behind New Public Management strategies, private sector measures for increasing organizational absorptive capacity can be applied in the public sector. However, knowledge importation appears to be a major catalyst in the public sector where the resources to retain skilled professionals with an ability to leverage contemporary technologies into service performance are often very limited. Top management team knowledge and skills are critical to effectively leveraging these internal and external knowledge creation mechanisms.

Effect of E-Performance Appraisal on Employees' Performance in the Presidential Amnesty Office, Abuja

The study investigated the effect of e-Performance Appraisal on Employee Performance in the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office, Abuja, Nigeria. The objective of the study is to specifically assess the effect of the proxies of e-Performance Appraisal viz. goal setting, e-performance review and feedback on employee performance. The study made use of a survey research design; where primary data were collected from a census sample of 122 management and operational level employees in the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office in Abuja. All the questionnaire issued was completed and returned representing a 100% response rate. The questionnaires contained closed-ended questions that were rated on a Likert-5-point Scale of “Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Strongly Disagree and Disagree.” The data was then analysed with the Multiple Linear Regression. Arising from the result, the model was significant at 0.000 and the null hypothesis was rejected. It was concluded that the employee performance Presidential Amnesty Programme Office in Abuja is affected by e-Performance Appraisal, however, of the proxies tested, e-Performance Review is insignificant, while Goal Setting and Feedback are significant. The study recommends that organisations that seek to increase their employee performance should shift from the traditional performance appraisal system to the e-Performance Appraisal system. This is because e-Performance Appraisal has a positive effect on employee performance.

Difficulties observed during lean tools training: insights for leaders

Purpose: The lean manufacturing can be an important ally of companies to enhance their competitiveness, since it can support companies to eliminate wastes and continuously improve their processes. In this context, the main purpose of this study was to analyze difficulties observed by operational level employees of auto parts companies during lean tools training.Design/methodology/approach: A panel of specialists indicated 18 tools required for lean journey training. These tools were used to structure a questionnaire to perform a survey. The survey was conducted with 77 lean training experienced professionals from two auto parts companies. Data collected was analyzed through descriptive statistics and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), to rank the tools according to the difficulty levels observed by the respondents.Findings: In general, operational level employees presented difficulties to understand the concepts of all analyzed tools. Comparatively, Lean Leadership and Constraints Management were those most difficult for them.Originality/value: The results present here can be used by leaders for providing lean training and for academics in futures studies.

Diagnosis of competencies in the meetings industry in Poland, Hungary and Ireland in post-COVID-19 period

The freezing of economies due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused damage not only on the sales side but also on the labor market due to the outflow of staff from companies specializing in the organization of meetings. The return of the meetings industry sector to the development path will involve skillful change management, including in the area of competencies and skills. To inventory and assess the competencies of employees in the meetings industry, this study was carried out among specialized enterprises in the meetings industry in Poland, Hungary, and Ireland, on samples of two research groups, i.e. the Director General (CEO) and operational employees based on questionnaires and individual in-depth interviews (IDI). The obtained results allowed to establish the hierarchy of self-assessment of own managerial competencies, assessment of the competencies of the CEO by the employees, areas of increasing team competencies, and areas of staff development in the sector shortly, contributing to the recovery from the pandemic crisis. Raising the competencies and qualifications of employees is perceived as one of the most powerful tools for overcoming the pandemic crisis, obtaining 68% positive indications among CEOs in Poland, 77% indications in Hungary, and 84% in Ireland. In all analyzed countries, the meetings industry is indicated as a strategic product of the tourist market. Among the planned long-term actions aimed at overcoming the pandemic crisis, increasing employee competencies is perceived as an opportunity for the companies operating the meetings industry sector (90% in Poland, and 80% in Hungary and Ireland). AcknowledgmentThis study was done in frames of the project “Vocational competences in MICE sector” co-financed in frames of European Union program Erasmus + as part of the program The Dialog for Transformation, Erasmus+, 2020–2021.

Impact of the Management of Work Environmental Hazards on the Perceived Quality of Occupational Health and Safety among Operational Employees in Construction Industry

Kelaniya Journal of Human Resource Management is the journal of the Department of Human Resource Management, University of Kelaniya. The objective of this journal is to disseminate knowledge of research as conducted by the academic scientists and practitioners in the field of HRM. The journal contains research and review papers.

Transformational leadership and quality of work life: A mediation model of trust climate

This study aims to investigate the impact of managers’ transformational leadership on employees’ quality of work life through the mediation effect of firms’ climate of trust in the hospitality industry. The study was conducted with operational employees working in three-star hotels in Bangladesh. Data were gathered from 186 respondents by a structured questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS 21 and SmartPLS 3.0 software. To test the hypothesized model, the study used a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) by SmartPLS 3.0. The results of this study revealed the strong direct effects (p &amp;amp;lt; .05) of managers’ transformational leadership (β = 0.433) and firm’s trust climate (β = 0.183) on the employees’ quality of work life with a variance (R2) of 31.9%, and also the significant impact of managers’ transformational leadership (β = 0.599) on firm’s trust climate with a variance (R2) of 35.9%. The study also exposed a significant mediation effect (p &amp;amp;lt; .05) of firms’ climate of trust (β = 0.112) in the relationship between managers’ transformational leadership and employees’ quality of work life. The findings suggest that a trust climate is such an internal mechanism that can convert transformational leadership practices into employee satisfaction with their professional life, while transformational managers can build the climate as well as enrich people’s lives at work.

In-Company Smart Charging: Development of a Simulation Model to Facilitate a Smart EV Charging System

Current electric vehicle (EV) charging systems have limited smart functionality, and most research focuses on load-balancing the national or regional grid. In this article, we focus on supporting the early design of a smart charging system that can effectively and efficiently charge a company’s EV fleet, maximizing the use of self-generated Photo-Voltaic energy. The support takes place in the form of the Vehicle Charging Simulation (VeCS) model. System performance is determined by operational costs, CO2 emissions and employee satisfaction. Two impactful smart charging functions concern adaptive charging speeds and charging point management. Simulation algorithms for these functions are developed. The VeCS model is developed to simulate implementation of a smart charging system incorporating both charging infrastructure and local Photo-Voltaics input, using a company’s travel and energy data, prior to having the EVs in place. The model takes into account travel behaviour, energy input and energy consumption on a daily basis. The model shows the number of charged vehicles, whether incomplete charges occur, and energy flow during the day. The model also facilitates simulation of an entire year to determine overall cost and emission benefits. It also estimates charging costs and CO2 emissions that can be compared to the non-EV situation. With the VeCS model, the impact of various system design and implementation choices can be explored before EVs are used. Two system designs are proposed for the case company; a short-term version with current technology and a future version with various smart functionalities. Overall, the model can contribute to substantiated advice for a company regarding implementation of charging infrastructure.

The Effect of Safety Training Intervention on Safety Climate Among the Operational Staff of West Oil and Gas Company

Background: The safety climate shows the attitude and general perception of the organization’s management regarding safety. This study investigates the impact of safety training on the safety climate of operational employees working in the West Oil and Gas Company. Materials and Methods: This study is quasi-experimental interventional research, which was conducted in the first half of 2019 in West Oil and Gas Production Company with a pretest-posttest design. The study population included all workers in the operational departments of The West Oil and Gas Production Company. The sampling was done randomly with 240 people. The study questionnaire included a demographic information questionnaire and the safety climate questionnaire of “the safety organization of England.” The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by safety professors, and its reliability was obtained at 0.84 using the Cronbach α coefficient. Results: The mean score of safety climate components before the intervention was 2.65, and after the educational intervention reached 3.66. The safety improvement had the highest score among the components of the safety climate. Also, the lowest mean score of the component before the intervention was related to the violation of safety rules, which had the lowest mean score after the intervention of the licensing system. Conclusion: Educational intervention improved the safety climate in West Oil and Gas Production Company, so safety training plays a vital role in increasing the safety climate in the oil and gas industries.