Smart Work Research Articles

Parking Tracking System Using Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 and NODEMCU ESP8266 Based IoT

Generally, many parking systems have not implemented a tracking intelligent system with the help of sensor technology and applications combined with the Internet of Things. This creates a lot of problems with the unexpected and irregular overflow of parking volumes. In overcoming the above problems, a study was made that discusses the parking tracking system design with the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor intelligent working system using a smartphone and an Internet of Things (IoT) based web application. This parking tracking system will use the main component, namely the ultrasonic sensor and several other components, namely the NODEMCU ESP8266. The Internet of Things will be used in this parking smart work system to provide information to parking users through a web system about the location of vacant parking slots. With this web system, users will be able to use the booking model and see which parking positions are available. The model used is a chip that is programmed and placed in each parking lot so that it can transmit digital information signals to a server that can be accessed in real-time by the user. With the planning of a parking tracking intelligent work system, it is hoped that it can help management of parking usage by users.

Multi-Sensor Platform for Predictive Air Quality Monitoring.

Air quality monitoring is a very important aspect of providing safe indoor conditions, and carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the pollutants that most affects people's health. An automatic system able to accurately forecast CO2 concentration can prevent a sudden rise in CO2 levels through appropriate control of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, avoiding energy waste and ensuring people's comfort. There are several works in the literature dedicated to air quality assessment and control of HVAC systems; the performance maximisation of such systems is typically achieved using a significant amount of data collected over a long period of time (even months) to train the algorithm. This can be costly and may not respond to a real scenario where the habits of the house occupants or the environment conditions may change over time. To address this problem, an adaptive hardware-software platform was developed, following the IoT paradigm, with a high level of accuracy in forecasting CO2 trends by analysing only a limited window of recent data. The system was tested considering a real case study in a residential room used for smart working and physical exercise; the parameters analysed were the occupants' physical activity, temperature, humidity and CO2 in the room. Three deep-learning algorithms were evaluated, and the best result was obtained with the Long Short-Term Memory network, which features a Root Mean Square Error of about 10 ppm with a training period of 10 days.

Transformational Leadership: Hard Working, Smart Working, Qualified Working, Sincere Working and Completed Work

Transformational Leadership: Hard Working, Smart Working, Qualified Working, Sincere Working and Completed Work is a literature review article within the scope of leadership science. The purpose of this article is to build a role hypothesis between variables that will be used in further research on the concept of leadership. Research objects in online libraries, Google Scholar, Mendeley and other academic online media. The Article writing method is library research, from e-books and open access e-journals. The results: 1) Hard working plays a role in transformational leadership; 2) Smart working plays a role in transformational leadership; 3) Qualified working plays a role in transformational leadership; 4) Sincere working plays a role in transformational leadership; 5) Completed work plays a role in transformational leadership. Other factors that affect Transformational Leadership including: work culture, motivation and work environment.

Smart Working: Work Flexibility Without Constraints

Does removing constraints on the time and place of work benefit the utility of workers and firms? We design a randomized experiment of a sample of workers in a large Italian company; workers are randomly divided into a treated group that engages in flexible place and time of work (which we call “smart working”) one day per week for nine months and a control group that continues to work traditionally. By comparing the treated and control groups, we find causal evidence that the flexibility of smart working increases the productivity of workers. We estimate a decrease of one day of leave on average per month, and we exclude a significant decline in objective productivity in any month. We also find sizeable improvements in well-being and work–life balance, and we observe that men also increase the time dedicated to household and care activities. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: This work was supported by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministries and European Commission (Italy’s Department for Equal Opportunities and t). Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4767 .

Effects of smart working on productivity and personal and job wellbeing in a sample of employees of the university of l'aquila: analysis two years after the COVID-19 Emergency

Effects of smart working on productivity and personal and job wellbeing in a sample of employees of the university of l'aquila: analysis two years after the COVID-19 Emergency

From Awokening to Awakening

In navigating the currently troubled waters of inflation and the rising cost of living, politicians are tempted to treat the symptoms—offsetting the increasing expenses with subsidies and expanding welfare programmes. But one should also treat the cause. The cause is not Russian aggression towards Ukraine. That is also a symptom—a symptom of the weakness of Europe and the West, either real or perceived. This weakness should be addressed. In 2022 power politics made a comeback. It has become clear that a world in which prosperity is spread by innovation and trade is not a given but has to be protected by real power. In 2022, with war once again on European soil, the EU woke up to a world it thought only existed in the history books—where power rests on the pillars of demography, energy security, food security and military strength. To maintain its borders, its prosperity and its prestige in the world, the EU will need to be stronger. It will have to work harder, work smarter, improve productivity, innovate more and build alliances. Digital innovation is an important talking point, but one needs to look at the fundamentals first. The time is past for resting on one’s laurels, lecturing the world on European values and enjoying the American guarantee of safety for free.

The role of management control and integrated information systems for the resilience of SMEs

This paper investigates the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the influence exerted by certain factors related to management control, integrated information systems (enterprise resource planning [ERP]), information and communication technology (ICT) systems, and financial resources. For this purpose, leveraging from the dynamic capability theory, in late spring 2020, a questionnaire was sent to limited-liability SMEs in Verona and Vicenza provinces in Italy operating in the manufacturing, construction, and distribution sectors. Respondents were asked to answer a set of questions and to evaluate the resilience of their firms as of January 1, 2020; May 1, 2020; and one year later, as of July 2021. Using a multivariate regression model to analyze data from the 143 questionnaires received, we found a positive influence of budgeting, business continuity tools, availability of supplementary financial resources, and resilience of the entrepreneur on both COVID-19 resilience and the organizational resilience of SMEs. SMEs with a high intention to use ERP systems also had high resilience levels. ICT use for smart working was not statistically significant. Despite the limitations concerning the sample and period considered, we believe that this study contributes to both academic debate, by illustrating the influence of certain managerial and organizational factors on the resilience of SMEs, and practice, by supporting a greater empirical use of management control tools, such as budgets and contingency plans, and integrated information systems (ERP). Our study supports the creation of financial buffers and strengthening the entrepreneur’s resilience for improving SME resilience.

Smart work and technological skills, in use to generate self-employment

Smart work and technological skills, in use to generate self-employment

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency on Alcohol Use: A Focus on a Cohort of Sicilian Workers.

The period between the beginning and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency generated a general state of stress, affecting both the mental state and physical well-being of the general population. Stress is the body's reaction to events or stimuli perceived as potentially harmful or distressing. Particularly when prolonged over time, it can promote the consumption of different psychotropic substances such as alcohol, and thus the genesis of various pathologies. Therefore, our research aimed to evaluate the differences in alcohol consumption in a cohort of 640 video workers who carried out activities in smart working, subjects particularly exposed to stressful situations due to the stringent rules of protection and prevention implemented during the pandemic. Furthermore, based on the results obtained from the administration of the AUDIT-C, we wanted to analyse the different modes of alcohol consumption (low, moderate, high, severe) to understand whether there is a difference in the amount of alcohol consumed that could predispose individuals to health problems. To this end, we administered the AUDIT-C questionnaire in two periods (T0 and T1), coinciding with annual occupational health specialist visits. The results of the present research showed an increase in the number of subjects consuming alcohol (p = 0.0005) and in their AUDIT-C scores (p < 0.0001) over the period considered. A significant decrease in subgroups who drink in a low-risk (p = 0.0049) mode and an increase in those with high (p = 0.00012) and severe risk (p = 0.0002) were also detected. In addition, comparing the male and female populations, it emerged that males have drinking patterns that lead to a higher (p = 0.0067) health risk of experiencing alcohol-related diseases than female drinking patterns. Although this study provides further evidence of the negative impact of the stress generated by the pandemic emergency on alcohol consumption, the influence of many other factors cannot be ruled out. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between the pandemic and alcohol consumption, including the underlying factors and mechanisms driving changes in drinking behaviour, as well as potential interventions and support strategies to address alcohol-related harm during and after the pandemic.

The bright and dark side of smart working in the public sector: employees' experiences before and during COVID-19

PurposeThe paper aims to understand how the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) influenced public employees' perception of smart working and how this approach was used during the pandemic. The authors asked about smart working's positive and negative aspects and how these changed during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explored the strengths and weaknesses of smart working before and after COVID-19. The authors interviewed 27 Italian public employees who had experienced smart working before the pandemic. The questions and discussion aimed to broadly explore the strengths and weaknesses of smart working and smart working's impact on working performance, work relationships and work–life balance (WLB).FindingsSmart working had a widespread and positive impact on organizational flexibility. Smart working improved the response and resilience of Italian public organizations to the pandemic. However, some critical factors emerged, such as the right to disconnect and the impact on WLB.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors suggest that the pandemic exposed the need for public administrations to consolidate work flexibility practices, such as smart working, by paying more attention to the impact of these practices on the whole organization and human resources management (HRM) policies and practices.Originality/valueThis study makes an important contribution to the literature on the public sector by discussing the positive and negative aspects of smart working. The study also provides managerial and policy implications of the use of smart working in public administrations.

Implementasi Teknologi QR Code Pada Pengarsipan Bukti Pembayaran di kampus IIB Darmajaya

The QR code is a two-dimensional barcode matrix code created by a Japanese company, DensoWave in 1994. "QR" which stands for "Quick Response" can contain many kinds of information in it such as text, URL addresses, telephone numbers, and other files. QR codes are usually applied to various products or goods to show additional information about the product or item. To find out what is in the QR code, you need a smartphone with a camera that can scan the QR code. The rapid development of the times and the increasingly creative mindset of humans have resulted in many thoughts. Many people are starting to compete to be able to lighten the job and make work more effective. This creates various ways or methods that make life easier. Not only work hard but also work smart. Implementation of various methods and combining one method with other methods is starting to be widely applied. For example in this study where this research discusses implementing the use of QR codes for archiving proof of payment.

Smart Work Injury Management (SWIM) System: A Machine Learning Approach for the Prediction of Sick Leave and Rehabilitation Plan.

As occupational rehabilitation services are part of the public medical and health services in Hong Kong, work-injured workers are treated along with other patients and are not considered a high priority for occupational rehabilitation services. The idea of a work trial arrangement in the private market occurred to meet the need for a more coordinated occupational rehabilitation practice. However, there is no clear service standard in private occupational rehabilitation services nor concrete suggestions on how to offer rehabilitation plans to injured workers. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) data can provide a foundation for developing a model to improve this situation. This project aims at using a machine-learning-based approach to enhance the traditional prediction of disability duration and rehabilitation plans for work-related injury and illness. To help patients and therapists to understand the machine learning result, we also developed an interactive dashboard to visualize machine learning results. The outcome is promising. Using the variational autoencoder, our system performed better in predicting disability duration. We have around 30% improvement compared with the human prediction error. We also proposed further development to construct a better system to manage the work injury case.

Smart working as an organisational process or as a social change? An Italian pandemic experience

PurposeAlong the coronavirus pandemic, huge business challenges are facing as a result of collapsing customer demand and organisational significant changes supported by digital development, while the increasing social and environmental needs involve business and individuals. The authors argue that this trend is modifying organisational and market logic, replacing them with values and practices linked to community-based models. The present work aims to study the impact that smart working (SW) has on the worker, seen both as a member of the organisation and the social community.Design/methodology/approachThe study data were collected from a computer-assisted web interview administered in 2020 to public employees working for health agencies across the Campania region, in South Italy. To test the conceptual model, partial least squares-structural equation modelling is used. Considering the abductive soul of the research, the study represents a pilot survey that will deliver stochastic results to be subsequently replicated in all Italian health agencies.FindingsThe results of the research highlighted how the evolutionary dynamics of SW employees tend towards a reconceptualisation of workspaces, a redefinition of time and emotions and a better balance between work and personal life, thus creating a greater space for social and community aspects and determining a greater involvement in their working life.Originality/valueThis research introduces a new win-win logic in the labour market, one capable of generating advantages for people, organisations and the entire social system by allowing workers to better reconcile working times with their personal needs and with flexibility demands coming from companies.

Play-Working: Study on Phenomenon of Children Digital Work as Chair Grabbing Games on Micro-Video Platforms

"Children's play" or "children's labor" are two controversial technical ethics endpoints in the issue of young digital labor on the platform. Although some digital smart workers who are deeply involved in the "chair grabbing game" regard children as the main content, they are also tired of the traffic tournament in the rush game. Based on the content of multiple children's accounts in the micro video platform, this study conducted text interpretation and paid attention to the living conditions of young digital workers. Children are different from adults. This paper believes that micro video accounts that made children as tool to present content should comply with laws, regulations and ethical norms. The platform should strive to standardize the behavior of account subjects, avoid being involved in public opinion, thus the audience would consciously strengthen media literacy.

Practical Applications of Harvesting Multi-Asset Carry, Value, and Momentum: Work Smarter, Not Harder

In <b><i>Harvesting Multi-Asset Carry, Value, and Momentum: Work Smarter, Not Harder</i></b>, from the Spring 2022 issue of <b><i>The Journal of Financial Data Science</i></b>, authors <b>Brian Jacobsen</b> and <b>Matthias Scheiber</b> (both of <b>Allspring Global Investments</b>) investigate the effectiveness of different systematic investing strategies. The traditional approach treats carry, value, and momentum as trading signals that dictate when to establish a position. The study finds that these signals strengthen or decay, depending on how long the investor waits to make the initial trade or holds the assets thereafter. Investment returns vary widely and are marginally negative, on average. The study then tests out a different approach that uses carry, value, and momentum not as triggers for trades but as explanatory variables in a machine learning–based decision-tree model that determines which assets are sending the strongest signals. This approach produces marginally positive returns when it compares each asset’s signals to the median of its asset class, and it produces significantly positive returns when it compares each asset’s signals to the median for all asset classes. Returns improve even more when the investor frequently monitors trades and signals and closes out positions when signals decay.

Smart working and base technologies in corporate performance: New directions in emerging firms

This study analyzes the smart working (SW) relationships at large and medium-sized companies in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru in terms of base technologies (BT) and corporate performance (CP). A total of 431 surveys were collected from workers at different hierarchical levels, and data processing was done using the Structural Equations Model (SEM) and Multigroup Analysis. We found that SW and BT positively influence CP, with BT having the greater influence, and economic activity moderated these relationships. Consequently, we show that manufacturing companies use SW the most, while service companies tend towards BT. No significant differences were found in the multigroup analysis by type of industry. However, there was a positive association between CP and SW only for commercialization companies, which means that these are increasingly making inroads into using SW. This paper acknowledges the contributions of previous studies, and is the first to provide researchers, practitioners, and academics with empirical evidence on SW, BT, and CP. It also broadens the understanding of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and their impact on the CP of companies in emerging economies.

Predicting Antecedents of Employee Smart Work Adoption Using SEM-Multilayer Perceptron Approach

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many organizations to move to telework and smart work (SW), and this practice is expected to continue even later in the postpandemic period. Hence, it is very important for managers and organizations to identify the motivating and deterrent factors in adopting smart work and plan to manage them. Therefore, the present study using an innovative methodology tried to identify and prioritize the factors influencing employee SW adoption. In the first stage, the conceptual model of the research was designed, inspired by the literature. In the next step, using structural equation modeling (SEM), antecedents whose effects on employee SW adoption were confirmed were identified. Finally, the output of the SEM model was considered as the input of the multilayer perceptron (MLP) model, which is an artificial neural network model, to determine the importance of each antecedent in the prediction of employee behavior. The present study provides quantitative empirical evidence that perceived value, institutional and technological support, perceived limited communication, and perceived cost are antecedents of employee SW adoption that are, respectively, important in predicting the behavioral intentions of employees in acceptance of SW. The findings of this study contribute to both the SW and the behavioral intention theory literature.

Smart working in organisations operating on the Polish market – opportunities and limitations

Smart working in organisations operating on the Polish market – opportunities and limitations

Improving the manufacturing process of kitchen furniture with a sustainable perspective

The concept of sustainability concerns the ability to satisfy current needs without compromising the possibility for future generations to satisfy their own needs. Over the years this concept turned out to be an essential theme for many industries because of a spread and heightened sensitivity towards environmental protection and social responsibility. Nevertheless, every firm still needs to guarantee the economic viability of its actions and retain its competitive advantage over competitors to remain in the market. This idea corresponds to the triple bottom line approach, according to which the business performance should be monitored from three perspectives, namely economic, environmental, and social. From one side sustainability means the integration of multiple practices, whereas on the other side, the current globalized and competitive economy requires enterprises to combine sustainability with practices of Industry 4.0 to contribute to Circular Economy objectives. The aim is to make choices that improve all three aspects. This work proposes an approach able to involve all three pillars of sustainability and the forefront tools to evaluate them. The case study presents the improvement of the manufacturing process for kitchen furniture. The aim was to create a smart working environment able to increase productivity and mitigate ergonomic risks ensuring a reduced environmental impact. Four parallel manual assembly lines were replaced with one semi-automated line, in which some specific workstations can adapt the product position to the operator's anthropometric measures. The re-design of the workplace allowed both the reduction of out-of-quality pieces and the enhancement of worker well-being. The main results show the achieved optimization for each pillar.

워케이션 환경을 고려한 업무공간 디자인 방향성 제안

Workcation is a compound word of work and vacation, and is a new concept of smart work, a flexible work type that goes beyond simple remote work. It is a combination of work and rest by using IT infrastructure in a vacation place. It removes restrictions on working hours and places and seeks to harmonize work and personal life, improve individual creativity, and productivity at the organizational level through autonomous work methods. This means a new way of working. In order to establish itself as a work/rest method of a new paradigm that is sustainable even after the “with corona era”, the development of a space model specialized for worcation is also required. Interest in worcation is increasing, but in-depth research on worcation space is still incomplete. Therefore, this study aims to examine the rapidly changing social structure, work type, and work space, and suggest the direction of work space planning for worcation environment, a newly emerged work type. This study examines the current status of work space in the work environment through recent cases of work, a newly emerging work method, and seeks future design directions. The implications and characteristics of worcation workplace found through literature review, domestic and foreign cases, and experience research are as follows. There is still a general perception that worcation is another tourism product, and there is a difference between the long-term stay type tourism products lacking. This is due to the lack of consideration for the work environment and the lack of expertise in operation, especially in the case of the type operated by local governments rather than companies, lack of expertise in the work environmental infrastructure. In the potential consumers’ survey, work-friendly infrastructure was found to be a common success factor for workplaces by type, but there is no design guideline for systematic planning, so it is necessary to have a personal workstation at the level of a shared office first. In future research, it will be necessary to classify the types and characteristics of spaces required for each function, and conduct empirical research centering on specific planned alternatives for workspaces according to users.