Doing more with less people"? The views of managers, human resource professionals and employees a... more Doing more with less people"? The views of managers, human resource professionals and employees about challenges in balancing productivity and well-being at work The aim of this article is to examine the future challenges for human resource management in Finnish municipalities estimated by the managers and supervisors, human resource professionals and employees. The data for this article originates from a wide web-based survey (HR Barometer). Altogether 547 answers were received. Commonly shared challenge was how to manage scarce resources. The importance of work well-being was recognized in each respondent group. However, there were contradictory perceptions how to improve welfare in workplaces. The findings indicated also that employee welfare should be one of the strategic development targets of HRM in municipalities.
This research project examined the status, need, and effectiveness of human resource management (... more This research project examined the status, need, and effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) in smalland medium-sized companies (SMEs). Research and development projects were carried out in 11 companies, and surveys as well as interviews in 100 companies. The survey, that was targeted for employees, showed that SMEs are perceived in general as good places to work. The interviews strengthened the results from earlier studies: there is still a need to develop HRM-related issues. The companies perform the best in resourcing (the flexibility of the workforce), enabling flexibility, and introduction. Also recruitment and work well-being are relatively often well taken care of. On the other hand, the issues that need much more development are related to deputy and follower planning, managing the supervisor work, and rewarding. Overall, improving the strategic role of HRM needs development the most. Developing supervisory work was the most often recommended procedure for the organ...
Knowledge management has become one of the most discussed topics in the business literature durin... more Knowledge management has become one of the most discussed topics in the business literature during the last decade. It is promoted as an essential corner stone for enterprises to develop competitive advantage in rapidly changing environment. The challenge for many small enterprises is especially demanding because of their limited resources. Thus, almost all the discussions on knowledge management and its related issues have centered on large organizations (Wong and Aspinwall 2004).
The purpose of this study is to gain more understanding about leadership as a socially constructe... more The purpose of this study is to gain more understanding about leadership as a socially constructed phenomenon at an organisational level. This paper specifically examines the factors that develop or destroy leadership that has been praised as good. The longitudinal qualitative data was gathered in a hospital in Finland. The data consisted of 52 narrations produced by head nurses. It was analysed using a content analysis method. Based on data from the first time point, the leadership there was humane: based on cooperation, confidential, ready to listen, equitable, encouraging, and supportive. Ten years later the leadership was described as bad, non-uniform, ?lost? and ?in transition?. Leaders felt that they were lonely and without support. The dramatic changes are related to turnover of managers, big structural changes, an unclear future and a strong emphasis on cost reduction and efficiency. The data revealed that head nurses expect and appreciate clear, caring, communicative and pa...
Human resource management (HRM) literature offers abundant theories on the ideal HRM practices le... more Human resource management (HRM) literature offers abundant theories on the ideal HRM practices leading to positive HRM outcomes and, further, to company performance. However, little is known of sma...
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the kinds of effects that using a temporary ... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the kinds of effects that using a temporary agency workforce may cause on an organisational level, especially on relations between employees. In this study the authors explore the organisation as a community, leaning on the theory of social capital.Design/methodology/approach– The data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with 18 temporary agency workers and five employees in permanent positions. Discourse analysis with some degree of pragmatism was employed in comprehending the speech of the interviewees.Findings– The position of agency workers may be problematic from the perspective of social capital formulation in a work organisation. The short duration of contracts and different conditions of employment shake relations in a work group. Agency workers may also be outside the information flows. Additionally the norms and rules may be different for temporary and permanent employees and thus cause confusion.Research limita...
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2015
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between organizational climate ... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between organizational climate and well-being at work. Design/methodology/approach – Connections between perceived organizational climate and well-being at work were studied through quantitative data gathered from 24 public day-care centers in Finland. Findings – The unit-level analyses revealed that different types of organizational climates were connected to different types of job well-being in the unit. Organizational climate types were differentially connected to stress and cynicism, but were not connected to work engagement. Employees in units where work climate was collectively evaluated as particularly weak reported significantly lower well-being than those in units with better work climate. The most positive climates – “relaxed and friendly” and “encouraging and supportive of new ideas” – seemed to be more strongly connected to well-being than negative climates. Originality/value – The study confirmed and clar...
IntrodUCtIon to tHe Core eLeMents oF tHIs BooK 9 capital plus items like structural and social ca... more IntrodUCtIon to tHe Core eLeMents oF tHIs BooK 9 capital plus items like structural and social capital. The organisational competencies that cover information systems, innovations, R&D activities, corporate culture and client affairs among others, are built with human capital. This has typically also included employee knowledge and competencies. In what follows below, we describe various approaches to competence management. Research and debate on knowledge management has run closely in parallel to these approaches. In contrast to competence management, however, knowledge management is more technical in nature and addresses the question of how IT systems can support the acquisition, processing and dissemination of information within companies. Approach Researchers Main questions and focus Learning organisation Argyris & schön, senge what kind of organisation is the best in supporting competence renewal and development? strategic human resource management
The aim of this paper is to examine the themes HR (human resources) professionals of various leve... more The aim of this paper is to examine the themes HR (human resources) professionals of various levels, managers, supervisors and other business professionals presented when asked to consider the future challenges for human resource management (HRM). The study extrapolates those responses to draw conclusions on the potential future tracks available for HRM to take. The current paper examines the professionals' opinions, collating and summarizing first what was said but then also applying research methods to highlight potentially relevant challenges that were not raised. The data for this article originates from a web-based survey HR Barometri (HR barometer) and answers given to an open ended question within it (Jauhiainen et al. 2010). The specific question set in the questionnaire and in focus here was the following: What kind of development challenges will face human resource management up until the year 2015?(Originally in Finnish: Mitä kehittämishaasteita henkilöstötyössä on vuoteen 2015 mennessä?) The comments that form the data set for this paper formed the core of an idea development phase to be followed by an evaluation phase and a new idea development phase in the HR Barometer survey process (Jauhiainen, ibid.). The main body of answers given to the question about future HRM challenges focuses inwards, towards HR processes and competences. It is suggested that HRM should build better connections to business and business strategy. Uncertainty concerning how this could be done is broadly expressed, and this state of affairs causes frustration both in management and in HR. There may be an answer to this situation in an interpretation that the dilemma of strategic versus operative focus in human resource management may be too difficult to be solved-or at least solved by competences and mind-sets available in present human resource functions. Maybe it is time to end the unproductive marriage of strategic and operative HR, and let the parties go their separate ways.
Journal of Health Organization and Management, 2014
Purpose – Not only does leadership produce changes, but those changes produce leadership in organ... more Purpose – Not only does leadership produce changes, but those changes produce leadership in organisations. The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical and empirical analysis of the transformation of leadership at two different historical points in a health care organisation. It leans on the perspective of social constructionism, drawing especially from the ideas of Berger and Luckmann (1966). The paper seeks to improve understanding of how leaders themselves construct leadership in relation to organisational change. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical material was gathered in a longitudinal case study in a nursing organisation in two different historical and situational points. It consists of written narratives produced by nurse leaders that are analysed by applying discourse analysis. Findings – The empirical study revealed that the constructions of leadership were dramatically different at the two different historical and situational points. Leadership showed up ...
Purpose – The purpose of this qualitative paper is to seek more understanding of the elements imp... more Purpose – The purpose of this qualitative paper is to seek more understanding of the elements important to the psychological contracts of working Millennials. The study also presents the implications of those findings for human resource management practices. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected from Facebook using the method of empathy-based stories (MEBS). A sample of working Millennials describes the factors they saw as motivating and desirable in working life. Findings – The findings are in line with previous quantitative studies in western countries, which reveal constant learning and developing at work; interesting, challenging, and varied tasks; social relations and the supervisor’s behaviour; reciprocal flexibility concerning timetables and working hours; and a good work-life balance to be important factors. However, the findings indicate that the desire to develop competences, and factors related to time may be even more significant for Millennials tha...
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover the preferences for management development method... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover the preferences for management development methods used in the development of senior managers, and to discover the perceived effectiveness, as well as strengths and weaknesses, of different methods.Design/methodology/approachThe study can be classified as a quantitative internet‐survey study, which also benefits from qualitative data through open‐ended questions. The sample of the study consisted of 2,500 senior managers of which 878 participated in the study.FindingsThe results indicate that the dominance of traditional short‐term management development activities continues while more longitudinal methods emphasizing experience‐based learning were reported to be more effective in supporting the development of senior managers. In addition, various key strengths and weaknesses of different methods were identified.Research limitations/implicationsIn future research, more in‐depth and longitudinal qualitative analysis of different managem...
Doing more with less people"? The views of managers, human resource professionals and employees a... more Doing more with less people"? The views of managers, human resource professionals and employees about challenges in balancing productivity and well-being at work The aim of this article is to examine the future challenges for human resource management in Finnish municipalities estimated by the managers and supervisors, human resource professionals and employees. The data for this article originates from a wide web-based survey (HR Barometer). Altogether 547 answers were received. Commonly shared challenge was how to manage scarce resources. The importance of work well-being was recognized in each respondent group. However, there were contradictory perceptions how to improve welfare in workplaces. The findings indicated also that employee welfare should be one of the strategic development targets of HRM in municipalities.
This research project examined the status, need, and effectiveness of human resource management (... more This research project examined the status, need, and effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) in smalland medium-sized companies (SMEs). Research and development projects were carried out in 11 companies, and surveys as well as interviews in 100 companies. The survey, that was targeted for employees, showed that SMEs are perceived in general as good places to work. The interviews strengthened the results from earlier studies: there is still a need to develop HRM-related issues. The companies perform the best in resourcing (the flexibility of the workforce), enabling flexibility, and introduction. Also recruitment and work well-being are relatively often well taken care of. On the other hand, the issues that need much more development are related to deputy and follower planning, managing the supervisor work, and rewarding. Overall, improving the strategic role of HRM needs development the most. Developing supervisory work was the most often recommended procedure for the organ...
Knowledge management has become one of the most discussed topics in the business literature durin... more Knowledge management has become one of the most discussed topics in the business literature during the last decade. It is promoted as an essential corner stone for enterprises to develop competitive advantage in rapidly changing environment. The challenge for many small enterprises is especially demanding because of their limited resources. Thus, almost all the discussions on knowledge management and its related issues have centered on large organizations (Wong and Aspinwall 2004).
The purpose of this study is to gain more understanding about leadership as a socially constructe... more The purpose of this study is to gain more understanding about leadership as a socially constructed phenomenon at an organisational level. This paper specifically examines the factors that develop or destroy leadership that has been praised as good. The longitudinal qualitative data was gathered in a hospital in Finland. The data consisted of 52 narrations produced by head nurses. It was analysed using a content analysis method. Based on data from the first time point, the leadership there was humane: based on cooperation, confidential, ready to listen, equitable, encouraging, and supportive. Ten years later the leadership was described as bad, non-uniform, ?lost? and ?in transition?. Leaders felt that they were lonely and without support. The dramatic changes are related to turnover of managers, big structural changes, an unclear future and a strong emphasis on cost reduction and efficiency. The data revealed that head nurses expect and appreciate clear, caring, communicative and pa...
Human resource management (HRM) literature offers abundant theories on the ideal HRM practices le... more Human resource management (HRM) literature offers abundant theories on the ideal HRM practices leading to positive HRM outcomes and, further, to company performance. However, little is known of sma...
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the kinds of effects that using a temporary ... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the kinds of effects that using a temporary agency workforce may cause on an organisational level, especially on relations between employees. In this study the authors explore the organisation as a community, leaning on the theory of social capital.Design/methodology/approach– The data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with 18 temporary agency workers and five employees in permanent positions. Discourse analysis with some degree of pragmatism was employed in comprehending the speech of the interviewees.Findings– The position of agency workers may be problematic from the perspective of social capital formulation in a work organisation. The short duration of contracts and different conditions of employment shake relations in a work group. Agency workers may also be outside the information flows. Additionally the norms and rules may be different for temporary and permanent employees and thus cause confusion.Research limita...
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2015
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between organizational climate ... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the connections between organizational climate and well-being at work. Design/methodology/approach – Connections between perceived organizational climate and well-being at work were studied through quantitative data gathered from 24 public day-care centers in Finland. Findings – The unit-level analyses revealed that different types of organizational climates were connected to different types of job well-being in the unit. Organizational climate types were differentially connected to stress and cynicism, but were not connected to work engagement. Employees in units where work climate was collectively evaluated as particularly weak reported significantly lower well-being than those in units with better work climate. The most positive climates – “relaxed and friendly” and “encouraging and supportive of new ideas” – seemed to be more strongly connected to well-being than negative climates. Originality/value – The study confirmed and clar...
IntrodUCtIon to tHe Core eLeMents oF tHIs BooK 9 capital plus items like structural and social ca... more IntrodUCtIon to tHe Core eLeMents oF tHIs BooK 9 capital plus items like structural and social capital. The organisational competencies that cover information systems, innovations, R&D activities, corporate culture and client affairs among others, are built with human capital. This has typically also included employee knowledge and competencies. In what follows below, we describe various approaches to competence management. Research and debate on knowledge management has run closely in parallel to these approaches. In contrast to competence management, however, knowledge management is more technical in nature and addresses the question of how IT systems can support the acquisition, processing and dissemination of information within companies. Approach Researchers Main questions and focus Learning organisation Argyris & schön, senge what kind of organisation is the best in supporting competence renewal and development? strategic human resource management
The aim of this paper is to examine the themes HR (human resources) professionals of various leve... more The aim of this paper is to examine the themes HR (human resources) professionals of various levels, managers, supervisors and other business professionals presented when asked to consider the future challenges for human resource management (HRM). The study extrapolates those responses to draw conclusions on the potential future tracks available for HRM to take. The current paper examines the professionals' opinions, collating and summarizing first what was said but then also applying research methods to highlight potentially relevant challenges that were not raised. The data for this article originates from a web-based survey HR Barometri (HR barometer) and answers given to an open ended question within it (Jauhiainen et al. 2010). The specific question set in the questionnaire and in focus here was the following: What kind of development challenges will face human resource management up until the year 2015?(Originally in Finnish: Mitä kehittämishaasteita henkilöstötyössä on vuoteen 2015 mennessä?) The comments that form the data set for this paper formed the core of an idea development phase to be followed by an evaluation phase and a new idea development phase in the HR Barometer survey process (Jauhiainen, ibid.). The main body of answers given to the question about future HRM challenges focuses inwards, towards HR processes and competences. It is suggested that HRM should build better connections to business and business strategy. Uncertainty concerning how this could be done is broadly expressed, and this state of affairs causes frustration both in management and in HR. There may be an answer to this situation in an interpretation that the dilemma of strategic versus operative focus in human resource management may be too difficult to be solved-or at least solved by competences and mind-sets available in present human resource functions. Maybe it is time to end the unproductive marriage of strategic and operative HR, and let the parties go their separate ways.
Journal of Health Organization and Management, 2014
Purpose – Not only does leadership produce changes, but those changes produce leadership in organ... more Purpose – Not only does leadership produce changes, but those changes produce leadership in organisations. The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical and empirical analysis of the transformation of leadership at two different historical points in a health care organisation. It leans on the perspective of social constructionism, drawing especially from the ideas of Berger and Luckmann (1966). The paper seeks to improve understanding of how leaders themselves construct leadership in relation to organisational change. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical material was gathered in a longitudinal case study in a nursing organisation in two different historical and situational points. It consists of written narratives produced by nurse leaders that are analysed by applying discourse analysis. Findings – The empirical study revealed that the constructions of leadership were dramatically different at the two different historical and situational points. Leadership showed up ...
Purpose – The purpose of this qualitative paper is to seek more understanding of the elements imp... more Purpose – The purpose of this qualitative paper is to seek more understanding of the elements important to the psychological contracts of working Millennials. The study also presents the implications of those findings for human resource management practices. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected from Facebook using the method of empathy-based stories (MEBS). A sample of working Millennials describes the factors they saw as motivating and desirable in working life. Findings – The findings are in line with previous quantitative studies in western countries, which reveal constant learning and developing at work; interesting, challenging, and varied tasks; social relations and the supervisor’s behaviour; reciprocal flexibility concerning timetables and working hours; and a good work-life balance to be important factors. However, the findings indicate that the desire to develop competences, and factors related to time may be even more significant for Millennials tha...
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover the preferences for management development method... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover the preferences for management development methods used in the development of senior managers, and to discover the perceived effectiveness, as well as strengths and weaknesses, of different methods.Design/methodology/approachThe study can be classified as a quantitative internet‐survey study, which also benefits from qualitative data through open‐ended questions. The sample of the study consisted of 2,500 senior managers of which 878 participated in the study.FindingsThe results indicate that the dominance of traditional short‐term management development activities continues while more longitudinal methods emphasizing experience‐based learning were reported to be more effective in supporting the development of senior managers. In addition, various key strengths and weaknesses of different methods were identified.Research limitations/implicationsIn future research, more in‐depth and longitudinal qualitative analysis of different managem...
Uploads
Papers by Riitta Viitala