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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 August 2021

Isa Norvell Gustavsson, Ulrika Müssener and Christian Ståhl

The aim of the study was to understand the social and organisational factors in the workplace that shape managers' actions and attitudes towards workers with repeated short-term…

1061

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study was to understand the social and organisational factors in the workplace that shape managers' actions and attitudes towards workers with repeated short-term sickness absence.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a qualitative interview study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 managers at 15 different workplaces. The analysis had an abductive approach, using thematic analysis which focused on the latent content of managers attitudes towards employees with repeated short-term sickness absence.

Findings

Results indicate that the managers' views of people on short-term sick leave shift and move through several phases, which was analysed as they were acts in a play, where their given roles are prescribing which actions to take given the available resources for acting these parts. These acts depict an increasingly controlling attitude, where the sick leave is ultimately seen as an individual problem best managed by repressive tactics.

Originality/value

Role theory offers the possibility to analyse managers' attitudes and behaviours by considering the workplace and the manager-employee relationship as regulated by norms and organisational factors.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 14 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 May 2021

Lena Strindlund, Madeleine Abrandt Dahlgren and Christian Ståhl

This article explores theoretical assumptions regarding negative consequences of social capital in the empirical case of a failed cooperation project, and how these consequences…

1868

Abstract

Purpose

This article explores theoretical assumptions regarding negative consequences of social capital in the empirical case of a failed cooperation project, and how these consequences are related to processes involving people, structures and environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on a case study of a cooperation project within municipal labor market services. The methodology followed a theorizing process, where data were collected through ethnographical methods and analyzed in relation to existing concepts from theories describing negative effects of social capital and shadow organizing.

Findings

The results highlight how the development of negative social capital in the project can be understood through three relational processes, namely the social dynamics of insulation, homogenization and escalating commitment. The authors conclude that the quality of social capital is conditional upon complex interactions within social structures. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of studying organizing practices outside explicit structures, in order to identify the development of non-canonical practices and their consequences.

Practical implications

Organizing cooperation projects that aim to bridge professional competencies or organizational boundaries have to be attentive toward informal organizing practices which if remaining unrecognized may grow and threaten the original intentions.

Originality/value

The study makes a theoretical contribution by combining a shadow organizing approach with literature on social capital. This combination proves especially useful for analyzing how organizational dynamics can influence the development of social capital into producing negative effects.

Details

Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 17 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5648

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 March 2024

Daniel Lundqvist, Cathrine Reineholm, Christian Ståhl and Mattias Hellgren

Knowledge regarding the importance of the psychosocial work environment for health and well-being in the workplace is extensive. However, more knowledge is needed about how the…

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge regarding the importance of the psychosocial work environment for health and well-being in the workplace is extensive. However, more knowledge is needed about how the managers’ organizational conditions are related to what occupational health and safety management (OHSM) is actually conducted and how this relates to the work-related health of employees. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate if managers’ organizational conditions are associated with the conducted OHSM, and if the conducted OHSM is associated with the psychosocial work environment and well-being of the employees.

Design/methodology/approach

An electronic questionnaire was sent to managers and their employees working in 10 different organizations in Sweden, resulting in 1,097 valid responses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the results.

Findings

The SEM analysis showed that managers’ conditions were related to employee well-being via OHSM and psychosocial work environment (job demands and job resources).

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature in the field of OHSM by placing explicit focus on the role of organizational conditions for conducting OHSM. By studying not only the link between work environment and health, but also focus on the underlying organizational structures for OHSM, provides additional possibilities for prevention of the increasing work-related illness. As such, this paper contributes to a more holistic perspective in the field of OHSM.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 July 2022

Cathrine Reineholm, Christian Ståhl and Daniel Lundqvist

The purpose of the paper is to investigate managers' experiences of managing work environment and risks during the Covid-19 pandemic and to explore how managers might use these…

2127

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate managers' experiences of managing work environment and risks during the Covid-19 pandemic and to explore how managers might use these experiences to develop future risk management.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 Swedish managers at different hierarchical levels working in 11 different organizations. A directed content analysis was carried out, informed by theory on risk management.

Findings

The results point to the pandemic as a societal crisis which workplaces needed to manage through large means of improvisation. Regular work environment routines were put to the test, and several deficiencies in the work environment and risk management were identified. Organizations that handle occupational safety and risks on a daily basis through established routines were less affected and could easier adjust work environment and risk management, compared to organizations prioritizing the social and organizational work environment, which had to re-prioritize and start paying more attention to the physical work environment and to bring risk management into their daily routines.

Originality/value

The study offers an account of how managers in different labor market sectors in Sweden have acted in the midst of the pandemic by handling real-time crises, how these experiences can be used for engaging in retrospective learning and how this may imply changes to their prospective risk management.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 September 2009

Karen E. Linkletter and Joseph A. Maciariello

Most people typically view Peter Drucker as the founder of management theory, or the originator of concepts such as management by objectives. Few are aware of his larger vision of…

Abstract

Purpose

Most people typically view Peter Drucker as the founder of management theory, or the originator of concepts such as management by objectives. Few are aware of his larger vision of a free society of functioning organizations, much less the intellectual influences that drove that vision. This paper seeks to discuss four individuals whose ideas informed Drucker's concept of a moral society of modern institutions: Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Julius Stahl, Alfred Sloan, and Joseph Schumpeter.

Design/methodology/approach

Drucker's own writings, as well as correspondence, interviews, and other archival sources, are analyzed to illustrate the influence of each of the four people. Specific examples of each influence are shown, as well as a case study of one organization that exemplifies Drucker's entire vision in action.

Findings

Drucker's life and work represent a struggle to achieve his vision of a moral society of functioning organizations. His larger vision is imprinted on his ideas of the self‐governing plant community, management by objectives, leadership integrity, and the morality of profit. However, Drucker's overall vision remains elusive in practice in large part because of its complex intellectual origins.

Research limitations/implications

Future research into additional intellectual influences on Drucker's work is suggested.

Originality/value

The paper offers an in‐depth analysis of Drucker's work with respect to the influences of Kierkegaard, Stahl, Sloan, and Schumpeter, illustrating Drucker's intellectual lineage and history. It provides an important connection between the discipline of management and the liberal arts.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2015

Margit Saskia Neher, Christian Ståhl and Per Nilsen

This paper aims to explore what opportunities for learning practitioners in rheumatology perceive of in their daily practice, using a typology of workplace learning to categorize…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore what opportunities for learning practitioners in rheumatology perceive of in their daily practice, using a typology of workplace learning to categorize these opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty-six practitioners from different professions in rheumatology were interviewed. Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis with a directed approach, and were categorized according to a typology of formal and informal learning.

Findings

The typology was adjusted to fit the categories resulting from the analysis. Further analysis showed that work processes with learning as a by-product in general, and relationships with other people in the workplace in particular, were perceived as important for learning in the workplace. The use of many recognized learning opportunities was lower. Barriers for learning were a perceived low leadership awareness of learning opportunities and factors relating to workload and the organization of work.

Research limitations/implications

The generalizability of results from all qualitative inquiries is limited by nature, and the issue of transferability to other contexts is for the reader to decide. Further studies will need to confirm the results of the study, as well as the proposed enhancement of the typology with which the results were categorized.

Practical implications

The study highlights the importance of relationships in the workplace for informal learning in rheumatology practice. In the clinical context, locally adapted strategies at organizational and individual levels are needed to maximize opportunities for both professional and interprofessional informal learning, taking the importance of personal relationships into account. The findings also suggest a need for increased continuing professional education in the specialty.

Originality/value

The workplace learning typology that was used in the study showed good applicability to empirical health-care study data, but may need further development. The study confirmed that informal workplace learning is an important part of learning in rheumatology. Further studies are needed to clarify how informal and formal learning in the rheumatology clinic may be supported in workplaces with different characteristics.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 11 May 2015

Tauno Kekäle and Sara Cervai

117

Abstract

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Article
Publication date: 20 July 2010

Timo Meynhardt

Practical wisdom is central to the tremendous success of Peter Drucker as a management thinker. The paper aims to argue that the attractiveness of his writings is mainly due to…

1409

Abstract

Purpose

Practical wisdom is central to the tremendous success of Peter Drucker as a management thinker. The paper aims to argue that the attractiveness of his writings is mainly due to the underlying Christian value system, which is the basis for the coherence of his thinking, and the reference system for his normative statements and practical wisdom.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discerns the moral foundations of Peter Drucker's work by highlighting explicit value statements in his early writings, some even before he turned to management. Against this background, examples are provided of how he translates his values in practical wisdom into dealing with management challenges.

Findings

A major driving force of Drucker's entire work is seen as the secularization of his religious beliefs. His practical suggestions for modern corporations are deeply influenced by Christian faith. Up to now this has been largely unknown or ignored.

Research limitations/implications

The paper rests on limited text analysis which should be extended in future research. If Drucker's success may be at least partially attributed to his moral tone, any effort to redeem management and to anchor it as a liberal art can deploy his work.

Originality/value

Dissecting the moral background of the most influential management thinker in the last century the paper reveals that Drucker's practical wisdom is the result of a deep connection between Christian values and knowledge. It clearly points to an integrated research perspective, and above all it calls for a rigorous inquiry into moral assumptions underlying any writing on management.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 29 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1985

Tomas Riha

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely…

2587

Abstract

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 12 no. 3/4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2017

Christian Engelhardt, Jochen Witzig, Thomas Tobie and Karsten Stahl

Water can alter the performance of modern gear lubricants by influencing the flank load carrying capacity of gears significantly. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the…

Abstract

Purpose

Water can alter the performance of modern gear lubricants by influencing the flank load carrying capacity of gears significantly. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of water contaminations in different kinds of base oils on the micro-pitting and wear performance of case carburized gears.

Design/methodology/approach

Concerning micro-pitting and wear, tests, based mostly on the following standardized tests, are performed on a Forschungsstelle fuer zahnraeder und getriebebau (FZG)-back-to-back gear test rig: micro-pitting short test Graufleckenkurztest (GFKT) according to DGMK 575 (screening test), micro-pitting test Graufleckentest (GT) according to FVA 54/7 (load stage test and endurance test) and Slow-speed wear test according to DGMK 377. To investigate the effect of water on the gear load carrying capacity dependent on different types of base oils, two polyglycol oils (PG1 and PG2), a polyalphaolefin oil, a mineral oil and an ester oil E are used. Each of these oils are common wind turbine gear oils with a viscosity ISO VG-220. Additionally, a manual transmission fluid with a viscosity of society of automotive engineers (SAE) 75W-85 is tested.

Findings

Considering the micro-pitting and wear performance, a significant decrease caused by water contaminations could not be detected. Regarding pitting damages, a generally negative influence was observed. This influence was differently distinctive for different base oil types. Especially non-polar lubricants seem to be affected negatively. The documented damages of the tooth flanks confirm this observation. While typical pitting damages appeared in test runs with polar lubricants, the disruption in test runs with non-polar lubricants was more extensive. Based on the experimental investigations, a general model of the damaging mechanisms of water contaminations in lubricants was derived. It is split into three partitions: interaction lubricant–water (effect of water on the molecular structure of base oils and additives), chemical-material-technological (especially corrosive reactions) and tribological influence (effect of water droplets in the contact zone). It has to be considered that the additive package of lubricants affects the influence of water contaminations on the flank load carrying capacity distinctively. An influence of water on the micro-pitting and wear performance in other than the given lubricants cannot be excluded.

Originality/value

While former research work was focused more on the effects of water in mineral oils, investigations concerning different types of base oils as well as different types of damages were carried out within this research project.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 69 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

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