Productive Work Research Articles

The essence and structure of future bachelors' readiness in vocational education of agricultural profile to use smart-complexes in professional activities

The article presents a generalized description of the results of the research defining the essence, content and structure of future bachelors' readiness in the speciality 015 "Vocational Education" (specialisation 015.37 "Agricultural Production, Processing of Agricultural Products and Food Technology") to use Smart-complexes in professional pedagogical activity. The analysis of research results on the problem of determining the content of personality readiness is presented. The main components of personality readiness for professional pedagogical activity are characterised. The article defines "readiness of future bachelors in vocational education of agricultural profile to use SMART-complexes in professional activity" as a formed mental, physical and emotional state of a teacher, which enable his/her effective educational work, based on the using of SMART-complexes during the organisation of the educational process in training of qualified workers for agricultural production and food technologies. The readiness of specialists is defined as a complex multi-level and multi-component mental and dynamic formation. The content and structure of the specialist's readiness as a kind of union of interdependent motivational, reflective, cognitive and activity components are characterised. The personality's abilities to organise the educational process and work in agricultural production and food technologies using SMART-complexes as components of the readiness of vocational education specialists for professional pedagogical activity are determined. A generalised scheme of the origin of the components of the results of training future bachelors in vocational education of agricultural profile to use SMART-complexes in professional activity is proposed.

AGRICULTURE 4.0 AND AGRICULTURAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Technological development plays an important role in the history of mankind, whether in development of economic production or society. Industrial revolutions are mentioned in connection with this development, with the one of the last stages called Industry 4.0. It is no different in the field of agriculture, where Agriculture 4.0 is taking shape. Vocational education and training, the role of which is to secure qualified workers for agricultural production, must also respond to these challenges. In this context, the article outlines the development of the agricultural sector in Czech Republic according to selected economic indicators, the development of agricultural vocational education and training, and finally, it provides examples of the enrichment of teaching with elements of Agriculture 4.0.

New insights into Hg[sbnd]Se antagonism: Minor impact on inorganic Hg mobility while potential impacts on microorganisms

Selenium (Se) is a crucial antagonistic factor of mercury (Hg) methylation in soil, with the transformation of inorganic Hg (IHg) to inert mercury selenide (HgSe) being the key mechanism. However, little evidence has been provided of the reduced Hg mobility at environmentally relevant doses of Hg and Se, and the potential impacts of Se on the activities of microbial methylators have been largely ignored. This knowledge gap hinders effective mitigation for methylmercury (MeHg) risks, considering that Hg supply and microbial methylators serve as materials and workers for MeHg production in soils. By monitoring the mobility of IHg and microbial activities after Se spike, we reported that 1) active methylation might be the premise of HgSe antagonism, as higher decreases in MeHg net production were found in soils with higher constants of Hg methylation rate; 2) IHg mobility did not significantly change upon Se addition in soils with high DOC concentrations, challenging the long-held view of Hg immobilization by Se; and 3) the activities of iron-reducing bacteria (FeRB), an important group of microbial methylators, might be potentially regulated by Se addition at a dose of 4 mg/kg. These findings provide empirical evidence that IHg mobility may not be the limiting factor under Se amendment and suggest the potential impacts of Se on microbial activities.

Conflict between consumer and worker surpluses under monopoly power

Using a simple model of monopoly and monopsony, I examine the effect of a labor-augmenting productivity gain on workers. I show that, although such a productivity gain always increases the output and consumer welfare, a firm with monopoly power may lower the labor demand and worker welfare because of the discrepancy between the marginal product and marginal revenue product of workers. The misalignment between consumer and worker welfare suggests that competition authorities need to be cautious about the potential harm of consumer-benefiting productivity gains on workers when assessing antitrust cases such as mergers.

Supply‐side inducements and resource redeployment in multiunit firms

AbstractResearch SummaryWe examine to what extent and when multiunit firms internally redeploy managers between units. While theory has emphasized how changes in demand conditions affect redeployment, we argue that optimal internal resource allocation involves consideration of both demand and each unit's resource supply. We formalize this argument, showing how redeployment arises from “supply‐side inducements”—return advantages in new over existing resource uses resulting from changes in resource supply. Empirical tests using manager deaths as an exogenous, supply‐side shock to firms' resource stocks support our arguments, showing that firms frequently redeploy resources away from better‐endowed and toward negatively affected units. Incorporating supply‐side inducements into redeployment theory implies additional value‐creation opportunities from redeployment and carries novel predictions for the direction of intra‐firm resource flows.Managerial SummaryFirms continuously decide how to allocate valuable resources—such as their most productive workers, unique inputs, or machinery—among different units. We argue that to optimally allocate such resources, managers must respond to changes in both the demand environment and in the resource stock of different units. When some units successfully accumulate resources while others suffer adverse shocks, opportunity exists to improve efficiency by internally redeploying resources. Counterintuitively, optimal redeployment frequently involves shifting resources away from successful, well‐endowed units. New business units, being resource‐poor, are often the most important recipients of resources. Empirical analyses studying how firms allocate managers in a large sample of Brazilian firms offer support for these arguments.

PEMANFAATAN TEKNOLOGI PERKANTORAN DALAM MENINGKATKAN KETRAMPILAN SISWA SMK PGRI 1 JAKARTA TIMUR

Increasingly sophisticated technology has resulted in the development of system technology in the field of administrative work in various agencies to become more effective and efficient, from light to complex administrative work. However, this must be balanced with abilities and skills that support their development. To face this progress, the world of work must always change. There are 2 things that can be done to meet these demands, namely providing competent human resources in the field of office technology, as well as providing supporting infrastructure. LP3I Jakarta Polytechnic takes part in optimizing students' abilities and skills in forming productive personnel in the field of office technology through community service activities. The aim of this activity is to make the transition to working life safer for vocational school students. The method used is the lecture method, delivery of material and discussion. The result of the service is providing useful provisions such as changing students' mindsets about their soft skills, the importance of understanding technological developments, changing behavior, and increasing knowledge about office machines. The conclusion of this service is that it provides benefits for students to become more confident and ready to compete, as productive workers in the business world. LP3I Polytechnic lecturers can use it as a place to distribute knowledge and knowledge that is beneficial to society.
 
 Keywords: Optimization; Office Technology; Knowledge

The “Digital Disconnect” on the Back of Occupational Health and Safety

The importance of digital disconnection in the workplace cannot be overstated, as it plays a crucial role in preserving the physical and mental well-being of employees. In today's hyper-connected world, the constant use of digital devices and online communication has blurred the boundaries between work and personal life. This continuous connectivity can lead to a range of health issues. Physically, excessive screen time and sedentary work can result in eye strain, headaches, and musculoskeletal problems. Additionally, a lack of time for relaxation and exercise can contribute to a host of chronic health conditions. Mentally, the relentless notifications and information overload can lead to burnout, stress, and anxiety. Continuous work-related communication, even after office hours, disrupts personal lives and makes it challenging for individuals to recharge and spend quality time with loved ones. Promoting digital disconnection by setting boundaries, encouraging regular breaks, and respecting off-hours can help employees maintain a healthier work-life balance. Ultimately, these practices enhance physical and mental health, leading to happier and more productive workers. Employers and employees must recognize the significance of this disconnect to create a sustainable and healthy work environment.

Valuation of domestic work: Construction of stay‐at‐home motherhood among elite Chinese migrants in Singapore

AbstractThis study contributes to the literature on migration, motherhood, and work by exploring how migrant stay‐at‐home mothers view and interpret the values of the unpaid work that they are conducting. Using semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with 36 college‐educated Chinese stay‐at‐home mothers in Singapore, we demonstrate migrant mothers' agency, efforts, and strategies in valuing domestic work and their stay‐at‐home mother status. Drawing on their migration status and relatively privileged educational backgrounds, elite migrant mothers re‐imagine and construct values of stay‐at‐home motherhood by framing their role as productive workers and by linking private and public spheres. Findings demonstrate four distinctive yet related processes that shape how mothers value and validate their domestic work and current status: emphasizing the agentic nature of their work decision, framing their maternal practice as having high quality, identifying the merits of current stay‐at‐home motherhood experiences on their future career pathway, and constructing a shared value of domestic work with their spouses. In the end, this study highlights the importance of going beyond the separate‐spheres ideology in understanding how skilled migrant mothers construct the productive meaning of their stay‐at‐home motherhood.

Preference-based hiring decisions and incentives

This article replicates an experiment by Coffman et al. (Manag Sci 67(6):3551–3569, 2021) who separated taste-based and statistical discrimination by comparing employer choices in one of two hiring environments (treatments). Both treatments were characterized by the same ability distributions of workers in tasks on which men are found to outperform women on average, but only one allowed for gender-specific considerations. We found statistical discrimination against women when they are presented to employers not as women, but as people belonging to a low-performance group, but discrimination in their favor when their gender is revealed to potential employers. This discrimination in favor of women was observed in both male and female employers. It was greater when employers were women and disappeared when monetary incentives to employ more productive workers were higher for employers.

Technical change, task reallocation, and wage inequality

Abstract This paper empirically investigates wage inequality within the group of skilled workers in the recent four decades in the USA using CPS data and finds evidence that the trend of wage growth of the top and bottom 10th percentile of skilled workers significantly diverged starting from 2000. Using a task-based framework of occupation, I find that the changing trend of wage inequality was entirely driven by one category of occupation, namely the nonroutine analytic occupation. Then, I consider in a model task reallocation between two broad task categories, namely the routine and abstract task, induced by an ongoing investment-specific technical change. In my model, the labor in the routine task is replaced by cheaper machines due to investment-specific technical change, then workers that are less productive in the abstract task enter abstract occupations. As a result, the wage inequality in the abstract task widens because of the reallocation of less productive workers from the routine task to the abstract task, that is, the “composition effect.” In addition, since economic agents tend to postpone the investment in machines after the ongoing investment-specific technical change takes place for a while, the expansion path of wage inequality is not linear but features an acceleration of wage dispersion in the middle of the technical change. The quantitative results suggest that the model is able to provide a well-matched timing and magnitude of the nonlinear expansion path in wage inequality that is observed in the data.

‘For business it boils down to one thing’: affective legitimation in LGBTQ diversity discourse

ABSTRACT This paper underscores how articulations of/about affect establish the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of what is authorized, encouraged, redeemed, or prohibited within discourses that legitimate neoliberal governmentality. Through an exemplary analysis of LGBTQ diversity discourse data, I demonstrate how institutionalized ‘endorsements’ of diversity frame employees’ selves entirely as resources for capital, and legitimate ways that LGBTQ workers conduct themselves as feeling actors (and productive workers). This has implications far beyond the realm of LGBTQ inclusion. Building upon descriptions of discursive legitimation suggesting that strategies function in combination with one another, the process I describe, ‘affective legitimation’, is one where they cohere. Financial, bureaucratic or political-economic concerns are imbued with emotion, becoming something ‘more-than’. Diverse subjects’ authentic selfhood, innermost desires, productivity, personal and professional fulfilment, and idealized self-sufficient citizenship are grafted together – treated as equivalent, thus affirming rationales of corporate profitability and entrepreneurial self-actualization. As one speaker quoted here remarks, ‘for business it boils down to one thing’. It is vital to apprehend how contemporary discourses about workers’ capacity to feel entwine with discourses about how it feels to have ones’ labour rewarded: how sanctioned outcomes endorse certain ‘feeling rules’, and how such rules strengthen the authority and legitimacy of capitalist exploitation.

Application of the Hamiltonian System in Deriving Solution to Dynamic System of the Sectoral Labour Market

The paper describes the application of the Hamiltonian System in deriving a solution to the dynamic system of the sectoral labour market. The aim is to determine the best control that would allow maximum sector participation in a three-sector labour market. The three sectors of the labour market are the goods-producing sector, the service-providing sector, and the agriculture sector. The sectoral labour market is formulated as an optimal control problem whose solution is sought using the Hamiltonian system by following the necessary conditions for optimality in the Hamiltonian System of Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle. The paper considered that the optimal control would be the measure of labour market efforts to produce the general worker’s population, and any split would mean there is production of active sector productive workers. The sector with the highest optimal allocation of effort, defined as the control within a fixed time, is identified as the best-performing sector. Service-providing sector, in this case, presented the best control. The obtained optimal control parameter is later applied to the experimental data to check on the effect of the control on the sectoral labour market participation rate. The results of the problem indicated that the application of the control had a significant effect on the sectoral labour market participation rate as compared to when there was no control. The sector with the highest annual growth rate measured as the sectoral participation rate was identified as the goods-producing sector

Reputation aware optimal team formation for collaborative software crowdsourcing in industry 5.0

Collaborative software crowdsourcing (CSC) is now a vital part of the technological workforce due to the rising need for software solutions in an industry 5.0 smart city that exceeds performance standards without sacrificing cost-effectiveness. When a buyer intends to hire a group of productive workers within their budget limit and time frame, the CSC offers a potential solution for executing a software module in crowdsourcing. Existing literature works are limited by team-building mechanisms in CSC without considering reputation and technical competency, which are crucial to building an effective team. In this paper, we have developed an AI-based meta-heuristic particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, which gives personalized solutions for intelligent CSC team-building problems, namely PCS system, that effectively forms worker-teams. We furthermore develop a reputation-based scheme by considering workers’ competency and prior performance to enhance the dependability and trustworthiness of the workers in the CSC platform by employing an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and the multi-step time balancing weight-based method. The developed PCS system also offers a utility function to buyers weighing the cost against task quality. All experiments are carried out in MATLAB and the results have shown that the developed PCS system enhances the buyer’s quality-of-experience (QoE) and utility as high as 30% and 25%, respectively compared to the state-of-the-art works.

Attitudes and perceptions of wood energy technologies in the Great Lakes region, USA

This paper explores social acceptance of different wood-based energy applications in the Great Lakes region in the Upper Midwest, USA. Specifically, the paper examines attitudes and perceptions towards residential wood burning, commercial-scale wood boilers for heat, combined heat and power (CHP) facilities, and industrial power generation in Michigan. In 2021, we conducted a state-wide survey (n = 207) and 30 semi-structured interviews with individuals representing different stakeholder perspectives, including regulatory agencies, biomass industry leaders, non-governmental organizations and scientists who have shaped biomass debates, forest products workers, and Michigan residents. Results suggest that the depth of an individual's knowledge about different types of wood energy applications generally led to more positive attitudes, particularly for smaller-scale uses of wood for heat. Despite perceived environmental, economic, and human health risks of using wood for different energy applications, across all stakeholder groups, 70% of respondents perceived environmental benefits, 61% perceived economic benefits, and 57% perceived health benefits. Changing economic and environmental conditions in different parts of the state contributed to people's attitudes toward different forms of wood energy and their perceptions of associated risks and benefits. A key recommendation of this study is that policy-makers and energy developers seek to understand the complex factors that influence social acceptance when planning for the adoption of new types of wood-based bioenergy technologies.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Working Time Allocation and Income: A Study of Elderly Population in Indonesia

Purpose: This research aims to determine the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on working time allocation and income of elderly population in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: The research uses a descriptive approach with a time series design using macro data issued by Central Bureau of Statistics for 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic) and 2021 (the Covid-19 pandemic). Findings: The results showed more elderly (0.05 percent) enter to the labor market during the Covid-19 pandemic, but on other hand there was higher unemployment of 1.36 percent. There has been a decrease in average working time allocation from 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic) to 2021 (during the Covid-19 pandemic) by 2.34 hours per week. The research results also show a decrease in average income during the Covid-19 pandemic of IDR 220,000 per month. Research limitations/implications: The workforce consist of young and old generation. This research limited to elderly and cannot examine young and more productive worker. Practical implications: The policy of providing assistance in form of venture capital funds for elderly can be continued and expanded to support productive older people to be allowed to work at home. Social Implications: The families and relatives of elderly should optimize economic support for elderly Originality/value: The increase in number of elderly around the world due to good quality of life, advances in medical technology and modern health services. This is the first research that examine the time alocation and income of elderly after Covid 19.

Uncovering the link between well-being and factory performance among workers in China: a longitudinal study

PurposeCompanies are concerned about the well-being of workers in their supply chains, but conventional audits fail to uncover critical problems. Yet, if the happy worker – productive worker thesis is correct, it would benefit factories in fast-developing countries, particularly China which is key to many global supply chains, to ensure the well-being of their workers. The authors set out to better understand the relationship between well-being and performance in four Chinese factories.Design/methodology/approachOver 12-months the authors collected digital diaries from 466 workers in four factories, and monthly data about the performance of their factories. The authors used this data to gain insights into the well-being of workers in these factories; to design experimental interventions to improve this; and to consider any effects these had on factory performance.FindingsThe experiments showed that training interventions to improve workers' well-being through their work relationships and individual skills improved not just a factory's general worker well-being, but also some aspects of its performance and worker retention. Thus, it brought benefits not only for the workers but also for the factory owners and their client companies.Originality/valueWhile there is a significant body of research investigating the happy worker – productive worker thesis, this was not conducted in Chinese factories. The authors’ work demonstrates that in this and similar environments, workers' eudaimonic well-being is more important than might be assumed, and that in this context there is a relationship between well-being and performance which can be practically addressed.

Visible and invisible work in the pandemic: social reproduction and the ambivalent category of the essential worker

ABSTRACT Feminist scholars and activists have long fought to make visible the fundamental but overlooked social reproduction work performed primarily by women, often in households. Taking on black feminist criticisms of the initial prioritization of the experience of white, middle-class women, these debates have developed into a broader social reproduction theory, which emphasizes the relationality of multiple forms of oppression under capitalism. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its lockdowns, temporarily turned the traditional distribution between visible and invisible work on its head when many so-called productive workers were ushered into their homes, leaving only the most essential workers publicly visible in the streets and valorized in online spaces. The sudden visibility of these generally low-paid, often racialized and marginalized workers now coded as ‘essential’ highlighted the importance of the work of social reproduction. However, the category of essential workers was ambivalent, in that by making visible some forms of social reproduction it continued to obscure others, especially familial care work and housework. In this article we analyse the ambivalent category of the essential worker and argue that it exemplifies, as social reproduction theory attests, that the capitalist production process always requires invisible labour, even as some previously invisible forms become increasingly visible.

Recommendations for Occupational Safety and Health (K3) as a Means in Increasing Employee Performance Productivity

Occupational Health and Safety (K3) is an important aspect in an industrial environment that aims to protect employees from various risks and hazards that may occur during the production process. This study aims to analyze the role of OSH in increasing productivity and quality of work in various industrial sectors. Regulation of the Minister of Manpower No. 4 of 1987 confirms that every agency that employs employees with a number of over 100 people or more is obliged to pay attention to the occupational safety and health of its employees, but unfortunately Not all agencies apply K3 to these agencies. Working with a healthy, safe and comfortable body and environment is what all workers want. The physical environment of the workplace and organizational environment are very important in influencing the social, mental and physical life of workers. The health of a workplace environment can have a positive influence on worker health, such as increasing worker morale, reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity. On the other hand, an unhealthy or unhealthy workplace (often exposed to hazardous substances/items affecting health/occupational safety) can increase the number of unhealthy and even accidents, lower the quality of workers' health, increase health costs and many other negative impacts. This study uses a qualitative approach by collecting data from various sources, including literature studies and interviews with industry practitioners who are experienced in OSH implementation. The results showed that OSH has a significant role in increasing employee productivity by reducing absenteeism due to work-related accidents and diseases. In addition, the implementation of an effective OSH program can reduce the number of work accidents and potential injuries, which ultimately improves work quality and operational efficiency. This study concludes that OSH is not only the responsibility of the company, but also the community and government must be involved in ensuring a safe and healthy work environment. With the implementation of OSH management, it is hoped that healthy workers will make productive workers, which is very important for the success of company and agency businesses and national development.

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIALIZATION 
 IN THE CONDITIONS OF INNOVATIVE CONVERSION OF THE ECONOMY

The socialization of the entire economy is determined by a radical change in the position of the worker in production. Radical activation of human capital is manifested in the creative participation of the employee in the high-tech production process. The level of socialization of national production is determined by how much the worker stands out in the system of factors of production. A significant result is the level of development and full disclosure of his intellectual, moral, aesthetic, creative qualities of the employee.

Dead Labor: Mortality Inequities by Class, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity in the United States, 1986-2019.

Objectives. To estimate social class inequities in US mortality using a relational measure based on power over productive property and workers' labor. Methods. We used nationally representative 1986-2018 National Health Interview Survey data with mortality follow-up through December 31, 2019 (n = 911 850). First, using business-ownership, occupational, and employment-status data, we classified respondents as incorporated business owners (IBOs), unincorporated business owners (UBOs), managers, workers, or not in the labor force (NLFs). Next, using inverse-probability-weighted survival curves, we estimated class mortality inequities overall, after subdividing workers by employment status and occupation, and by period, gender, race/ethnicity, and education. Results. UBOs, workers, and NLFs had, respectively, 6.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -8.1, -4.6), 6.6 (95% CI = -8.1, -5.0), and 19.4 (95% CI = -21.0, -17.7) per 100 lower 34-year survival rates than IBOs. Mortality risk was especially high for unemployed, blue-collar, and service workers. Inequities increased over time and were greater among male, racially minoritized, and less-educated respondents. Conclusions. We estimated considerable mortality inequities by class, gender, and race/ethnicity. We also estimated that class mortality inequities are increasing, threatening population health. Public Health Implications. Addressing class inequities likely requires structural, worker-empowering interventions. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(6):637-646. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307227).