The Rise of Shop Floor Ergonomics: A Personal Perspective.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Based on a 45-year career as a practitioner in industrial ergonomics, I offer in this paper a personal memoir on how ergonomics came to the shop floor in North America, involving ordinary workers in an early effort to prevent what was at the time an unknown problem - work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders. The actions included the beginning of a low-tech, practical improvement process that is still effective today. In total, the experience can provide encouragement to everybody to be confident in their ability when trying new endeavors and to remember that small initial steps can eventually lead to major change.

Quantification of Postures for Low-Height Object Manipulation Conducted by Manual Material Handlers in a Retail Environment.

Occupational Applications Manual material handlers performing stocking tasks spent substantial amounts of time in bent postures but used traditional stoops and squats infrequently. Instead, they often used split-legged stoops and squats, where one foot is further forward than the other, and one-legged ("golfer's") lifts. During object manipulation, the distance workers reached away from their body, and the height at which they manipulated objects, were correlated with the posture used by the worker. Workers also stayed in different postures for different lengths of time. It is likely that certain postures are more comfortable for the workers to remain in, provide additional mobility or operational radius, or require less energy to use. Understanding these factors in more detail could lead to improved worker training programs, where the postures taught not only have low injury risk but are comfortable so are actually adopted and used by the workers.

Technical Abstract Background Musculoskeletal disorders are relatively common among manual material handlers. This may be due in part to challenging postures used by workers. Purpose Studying the kinematics of manual material handlers in the workplace will provide quantitative data on how they move and what postures they adopt. With these data, some insights can be determined about why workers chose certain postures. Methods We conducted an on-site workplace study to capture the full-body kinematics of manual material handlers (stockers) using inertial measurement units. We organized the observed bends into six classes: stooping, fore-aft squatting, split-legged stooping with one-heel raised, split-legged stooping with no heels raised, one-legged lifting, and mixed lifting, which include multiple forms while remaining bent. These classes were based on a new general classification of bending and lifting postures that we developed, which enumerates all of the possible forms. We quantified how frequently and for what duration the workers bent and lifted, and determined how often they performed asymmetric motions while bending. We determined the range of motion of the hand positions during each bent posture, which provides a measure of the workspace afforded by the posture. Results Workers rarely used symmetric squats and infrequently used symmetric stoops typically studied in lab settings. Instead, they used a variety of different postures that have not been well-characterized. Of the 666 bending postures recorded during the experiment, 27.3% were stoops lifts, 22.1% were one-legged lifts, 20.3% were split-legged bends with both heels on the ground, and 12.3% were split-legged bends with a heel raised. Only 4.6% of the postures were squats and only one participant used this posture. Different bending postures were correlated with different ranges of hand position used in object manipulation. One-legged lifting corresponded to bends with the hands furthest away from the body along the sagittal axis. Conclusions While our study was exploratory, we observed many kinematic forms that have not been studied much in the past, such as split-legged stooping and one-legged lifting, suggesting that future work should be done to understand the biomechanics of these postures.

Predictores selectivos en el sector público: validez predictiva y reacciones de los candidatos / Selection predictors in the public sector: predictive validity and candidate reactions

Esta investigación ha tenido como objetivo profundizar en el conocimiento sobre el funcionamiento de los procedimientos selectivos en el sector público. Para ello, a partir de los datos del concurso-oposición de 2010 para la selección de auxiliares administrativos en el Gobierno Vasco se estudiaron dos cuestiones: a) la validez predictiva de los predictores empleados y b) la justicia percibida por parte de los auxiliares con respecto al proceso selectivo y a las pruebas empleadas y su relación con el resultado en las mismas y el desempeño laboral. Los resultados muestran que la prueba de conocimientos es el mejor predictor del desempeño y que las reacciones de los candidatos presentan una correlación positiva con el desempeño laboral y con el resultado en el test de juicio situacional. Se comentan las limitaciones de la investigación así como las implicaciones prácticas de los resultados

The purpose of this research has been to deepen the knowledge about how selection procedures work in the public sector. To this aim two aspects were considered: a) the predictive validity of the predictors employed and b) the perceived justice of the hired workers regarding the selection process and the tests used and their relation with test performance and job performance. The results show that the job knowledge test is the best predictor of performance and that the reactions of the candidates present a positive correlation with job performance and with the situational judgment test results. The limitations of the research as well as the practical implications of the results are discussed

Impact of the Intensive Program of Emotional Intelligence (IPEI) on work supervisors / Impacto del Programa de Inteligencia Emocional Intensivo (PIEI) en supervisores de trabajo

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Intensive Program of Emotional Intelligence (IPEI; Fernández, 2016; Férreo, 2016) on middle managers’ emotional intelligence, as this variable may have a significant impact on personal satisfaction, task performance, and the work environment. Method: The intervention was applied to work team supervisors in a large call center, as it is an overlooked sector in this topic. Two-hundred and eighty-two supervisors from a Madrid-based, Spanish multinational (51.4% men and 48.6% women) participated in this study. Participants were assigned to the experimental group (n = 190) or the control group (n = 92) by availability, according to management decision. All supervisors filled in two questionnaires to evaluate the different components of intrapersonal emotional intelligence (i.e., attention, clarity, and repair; TMMS-24; Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera, & Ramos, 2004) and cognitive and affective empathy (i.e., perspective taking, emotion understanding, empathic joy, and personal distress; TECA; López-Pérez, Fernández, & Abad, 2008). Results: The findings showed an increase in the studied variables for the experimental group. Conclusions: The results obtained support middle managers’ training in emotional competences through short, efficient, economic programs. Potential limitations and implications of the results are discussed (AU)

Antecedentes: este estudio se centra en la evaluación del Programa de Inteligencia Emocional Intensivo (PIEI; Fernández, 2016; Férreo, 2016) aplicado a supervisores de trabajo. El programa pretende incrementar la inteligencia emocional, ya que esta variable incide en aspectos como la satisfacción personal, el desempeño de tareas y el clima laboral. Método: la intervención se aplicó a supervisores de un gran call center, un sector poco estudiado en este ámbito. Participaron 282 supervisores pertenecientes a una empresa española multinacional, radicada en Madrid (51,4% varones y 48,6% mujeres). Fueron asignados, por disponibilidad, al grupo experimental (n = 190) o al grupo control (n = 92). Todos los supervisores respondieron a dos cuestionarios: uno para evaluar los componentes de inteligencia emocional intrapersonal (v.g., claridad, comprensión y reparación; TMMS-24; Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera y Ramos, 2004) y otro para medir empatía cognitiva y afectiva (v.g., adopción de perspectivas, comprensión emocional, alegría empática y estrés empático; TECA, López-Pérez, Fernández y Abad, 2008). Resultados: los resultados mostraron una mejora en las variables de estudio tras aplicar el programa en el grupo experimental. Conclusiones: los resultados obtenidos apoyan la formación emocional de mandos intermedios con programas breves, eficaces y económicos. Además, se discuten las limitaciones e implicaciones de los resultados obtenidos (AU)

When and which employees feel obliged: a personality perspective of how organizational identification develops / Cuándo están agradecidos los empleados y a qué aspectos: el desarrollo de la identificación con la organización desde la perspectiva de la personalidad

This paper examines the indirect effect of interpersonal and informational justice on organizational identification through psychological contract fulfillment across different levels of equity sensitivity. The data were collected using self-reported measures from 656 permanent employees working in five commercial banks in Pakistan. The statistical results of the study confirmed that the indirect effect of interpersonal and informational justice on organizational identification through psychological contract fulfillment is significant. However, the statistical results of the study also demonstrated that the indirect effect of interpersonal and informational justice does not differ across different levels of equity sensitivity. This study offers some implications for managers to maintain an effective employment relationship with the employees inside the organizations (AU)

Este artículo analiza el efecto indirecto de la justicia interpersonal e informativa en la identificación con la organización a través del cumplimiento del contrato psicológico en los diferentes niveles de sensibilidad a la equidad. Por medio de medidas de autoinforme se recogieron datos de 656 empleados fijos de cinco bancos comerciales de Paquistán. Los resultados estadísticos del estudio confirman que es significativo el efecto indirecto de la justicia interpersonal e informativa en la identificación con la organización a través del cumplimiento del contrato psicológico. No obstante, dichos resultados demuestran también que el efecto indirecto de la justicia interpersonal e informativa no es distinto en los distintos niveles de sensibilidad a la equidad. El estudio propone algunas implicaciones para que los directivos mantengan una relación eficaz de empleo con los empleados en el seno de las organizaciones (AU)

Empirical investigation of a moderating and mediating variable in between mentoring and job performance: a structural model / La investigación empírica de una variable moderadora y mediadora entre el mentoring y el desempeño laboral: modelo estructural

This study evaluates the role of self-efficacy between mentoring and its outcomes namely, relationship quality, communication satisfaction, and personal learning. It also examines the mediating role of relationship quality, communication satisfaction, and personal learning between mentoring and job performance. Besides, this moderated mediation relationship is also evaluated. Data has been collected from 276 employees working in banking sector in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K, India). The confirmatory factor analysis has been done for confirming the factor structure and structural equation modelling for testing the hypothesized relations. Results revealed that self-efficacy moderates the relationship between mentoring and personal learning, relationship quality, and communication satisfaction. Further the study revealed that interaction effect of mentoring and self-efficacy on job performance is mediated by personal learning, relationship quality, and communication satisfaction. The data has been collected using a questionnaire at a single point of time. For future research longitudinal study should be conducted (AU)

El estudio analiza el rol que juega la autoeficacia entre el mentoring y sus resultados, es decir, la calidad de la relación, la satisfacción en la comunicación y el aprendizaje personal. También indaga en el papel mediador de la calidad de la relación, la satisfacción en la comunicación y el aprendizaje personal entre el mentoring y el desempeño laboral. Además, se analiza esta relación de mediación moderada. Se recogieron datos de 276 empleados del sector bancario en Jammu y Kashmir (J&K), India. Se llevó a cabo un análisis factorial confirmatorio con el fin de confirmar la estructura factorial y el modelado de ecuaciones estructurales para probar las relaciones postuladas. Los resultados pusieron de manifiesto que la autoeficacia modera la relación entre mentoring y aprendizaje personal, calidad de la relación y satisfacción en la comunicación. Dichos datos se recogieron mediante cuestionario en un momento puntual. En investigaciones futuras debería llevarse a cabo un estudio longitudinal (AU)

Journalists’occupational stress: a comparative study between reporting critical events and domestic news

Nowadays, journalism is considered a stressful occupation, not only due to the stress perceived in journalists’ daily work but also due to the critical, potentially traumatic events they report. However, research on journalists’ occupational stress in both these professional settings is still scarce. This study aims to characterize and compare occupational stress variables perceived by journalists in their daily work and in critical scenarios. Taking the Holistic Model of Occupational Stress by Nelson and Simmons (2003) as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, all with experience in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of some core variables of the model: occupational stressors, distress and eustress emotional reactions, and the consequences of these experiences on their well-being. Differences among these core variables, according to the number of deployments to a critical event, were statistically analysed in order to ascertain whether repeated exposure to trauma influenced journalists’ occupational stress perceptions. The data content analysis showed that occupational stressors and emotional reactions differed across settings, while the consequences associated with journalists’ experiences were perceived as being mainly negative in both occupational contexts. Significant differences were identified in some of these variables according to the number of deployments to a critical event (p < .05). These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in preparing and supporting journalists in their work performance, and on the promotion of occupational health within the scope of journalists’ daily work and critical events. The article closes with considerations for future studies (AU)

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Validez predictiva e impacto adverso de la entrevista conductual estructurada en el sector público / Predictive validity and adverse impact of the structured behavioral interview in the public sector

En este trabajo se estudia el papel de la entrevista conductual estructurada (ECE) en los procedimientos de selección del sector público, cuya legislación insta a comprobar si los procedimientos selectivos están vinculados con el desempeño y si se cumple el principio de igualdad de oportunidades entre sexos. Para ello se ha analizado en una muestra de 379 candidatos si existían diferencias de género en la puntuación de la entrevista. Por otro lado, se midió el desempeño de las 125 personas contratadas, lo que permitió estudiar la validez predictiva de la ECE. Los resultados son similares a los obtenidos por investigaciones precedentes -la ECE predice de manera significativa el desempeño y no produce impacto de género. Finalmente se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados (AU)

This paper studies the role of the structured behavioral interview (SBI) in the selection procedures of the public sector. The Spanish legislation calls on to examine whether selection procedures are linked to performance and whether the principle of equal opportunities regarding gender is respected. Hence, it was analyzed if there were gender differences in the interview scores in a sample of 379 candidates. Furthermore, performance of 125 hired subjects was assessed, allowing us to measure the predictive validity of the SBI. Results are similar to those obtained by previous research -SBIs are a significant predictor of performance and they do not produce adverse gender impact. Finally, implications of these results are discussed (AU)

Validation of the Spanish version of Soane’s ISA Engagement Scale / Validación de la versión española de la Escala de Engagement (ISA) de Soane et al

The interest in the study of engagement in the academic field can be seen through the increasing number of results in Google Scholar and in Scopus, going from barely 20 results between 2000 and 2005 to more than 500 in Scopus and more than 1100 in Google Scholar between 2011 and 2015. Soane et al. (2012) propose a unified theoretical framework as the basis of the psychological mechanism of engagement, grounded on the approach of Kahn (1990). The aim of this paper is to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the ISA engagement scale in a sample of 477 employees of the administration and services sector in a Spanish public university. Keeping the original design of the English version of the scale, the proposed factorial structure is validated with the good fit of the data according to the revised goodness of fit indices; reliability and the results of the analysis of construct validity (AU)

A través del creciente número de resultados en Google Académico y en Scopus puede verse el interés en el estudio del engagement [compromiso] en el terreno académico, pasando de apenas 20 resultados entre los años 2000 y 2005, a más de 500 en Scopus y más de 1100 en Google Académico entre 2011 y 2015. Soane et al. (2012) proponen un marco teórico unificado como la base del mecanismo psicológico de engagement, con raíces en la aproximación de Kahn (1990). El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española de la escala ISA en una muestra compuesta por 477 empleados del sector servicios de una universidad pública española. Probado el buen ajuste de los datos muestrales recogidos según los índices de ajuste revisados, los índices de fiabilidad y los resultados de los análisis de validez de constructo efectuados, se valida la estructura factorial propuesta, manteniendo el diseño original de la versión inglesa de la escala (AU)

Social identity and engagement: an exploratory study at university / La identidad social y el compromiso: estudio exploratorio en la universidad

Within the framework of research on students' active performance in their study habits, the aim of this study is to analyze a model predicting the effect of social identity and personal initiative on engagement in university students. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 266 students from different Spanish universities. The resulting data were analyzed using SPSS Macro MEDIATE. Evidence was found for the proposed model. Only group-identity predicted personal initiative and engagement. Analysis revealed the mediating role of proactive behavior on engagement in university students. It is concluded that the university management may intervene, from an organizational-culture approach, promoting guidelines to reinforce students' sense of belonging by enhancing initiative and autonomous problem solving in learning behaviors (AU)

Dentro del marco de investigación sobre desempeño activo de estudiantes, el objetivo de este trabajo es analizar un modelo predictor del efecto de identidad social e iniciativa personal en el compromiso de estudiantes universitarios. Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal con 266 alumnos de diversas universidades españolas. Los datos se analizaron con la Macro MEDIATE de SPSS. Se encontraron pruebas para el modelo propuesto. Sólo la identidad grupal predecía la iniciativa personal y el engagement. El análisis mostró el papel mediador de la iniciativa personal en el engagement de estudiantes universitarios. Entre las conclusiones se destaca la posibilidad de promover desde la Universidad el sentido de pertenencia para generar iniciativa personal y la solución autónoma de problemas en los comportamientos de aprendizaje (AU)

Legitimidad y desempeño en el trabajo: cuando el derecho legitima y el merecimiento cualifica / Legitimacy and efficacy at work: when entitlement legitimizes and deservingness qualifies

El modelo estructural del merecimiento () establece dos factores que afectan a las percepciones de legitimidad: el derecho (merecer algo por cumplir las normas establecidas para ello) y el merecimiento (merecerlo por las acciones pasadas realizadas). A pesar de la relevancia de ambos factores, trabajos previos muestran conclusiones diferentes respecto a qué factor es un mejor predictor de la legitimidad. El objetivo de este artículo es explorar la influencia de estos factores al juzgar la legitimidad y las consecuencias positivas asociadas a la elección de un aspirante para un puesto de poder. Los resultados mostraron que mientras que un candidato con derecho para ocupar el puesto se percibe más legítimo, un candidato que merece ese puesto predice unas consecuencias más positivas como resultado de dicha elección. Además, los resultados sugieren que el grado de implicación de los individuos con la elección interactúa con el derecho y el merecimiento (AU)

The structural model of deservingness () posits that entitlement and deservingness are two different predictors of perceptions of legitimacy. Specifically, entitlement refers to the accomplishment of established social rules, whereas deservingness relates to the outcomes that individuals earn as products of their actions. Although both factors are good predictors of perceived legitimacy, previous works show different conclusions about their relevance. The aim of this paper is to further examine the influence of entitlement and deservingness on legitimacy perceptions and on the consequences expected for a candidate who has been elected for a power position. Results showed that whereas a high-entitlement candidate is perceived as more legitimate, a high-deservingness candidate is expected to perform better. Besides, results hint that the level of personal implication with the candidate election plays also a relevant role in combination with entitlement and deservingness, when individuals evaluate the expected consequences of the decision (AU)

Identification of the human factors contributing to maintenance failures in a petroleum operation.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to identify the most frequently occurring human factors contributing to maintenance-related failures within a petroleum industry organization. Commonality between failures will assist in understanding reliability in maintenance processes, thereby preventing accidents in high-hazard domains. BACKGROUND: Methods exist for understanding the human factors contributing to accidents. Their application in a maintenance context mainly has been advanced in aviation and nuclear power. Maintenance in the petroleum industry provides a different context for investigating the role that human factors play in influencing outcomes. It is therefore worth investigating the contributing human factors to improve our understanding of both human factors in reliability and the factors specific to this domain. METHOD: Detailed analyses were conducted of maintenance-related failures (N = 38) in a petroleum company using structured interviews with maintenance technicians. The interview structure was based on the Human Factor Investigation Tool (HFIT), which in turn was based on Rasmussen's model of human malfunction. RESULTS: A mean of 9.5 factors per incident was identified across the cases investigated.The three most frequent human factors contributing to the maintenance failures were found to be assumption (79% of cases), design and maintenance (71%), and communication (66%). CONCLUSION: HFIT proved to be a useful instrument for identifying the pattern of human factors that recurred most frequently in maintenance-related failures. APPLICATION: The high frequency of failures attributed to assumptions and communication demonstrated the importance of problem-solving abilities and organizational communication in a domain where maintenance personnel have a high degree of autonomy and a wide geographical distribution.

Role stressors, task-oriented norm and job satisfaction: a longitudinal study / Estresores de rol, norma de orientación a la tarea y satisfacción laboral: un estudio longitudinal

In line with the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R) this study analyzes the role of task-oriented norm (job resource) and role stressors (job demands) to predict job satisfaction over time. In order to test this effect, a sample was gathered in a manufacturing setting at two different times. Hierarchical regression analysis tests the principal and the interaction effects of role stressors (role conflict and role overload) and task-oriented norm to predict job satisfaction. Results confirm the negative effect of role conflict at Time 1 on job satisfaction at Time 2 showing the relevance of setting priorities to neutralize the negative effect of this stressor. Moreover, these results show the interaction between task overload (Time 1) and task-oriented norm (Time 1) on job satisfaction (Time 2) after working together for more than one year as a permanent group. Discussion is focused on the structural work context and within group implications of these findings in real working settings(AU)

Partiendo del Modelo de Demandas-Recursos (JD-R) este estudio analiza el papel de la norma de orientación a la tarea (recurso) en los estresores del trabajo (demandas) para predecir la satisfacción laboral. Este efecto se prueba en una muestra de trabajadores de la industria de automoción, efectuando la toma de datos en dos tiempos. La regresión jerárquica prueba las relaciones directas entre las variables y el efecto de la interacción de los estresores (conflicto de rol y sobre-carga de trabajo) y la orientación a la tarea para predecir la satisfacción. Los resultados confirman la relación negativa entre el conflicto de rol en Tiempo 1 y la satisfacción en Tiempo 2. Además, estos resultados muestran la interacción entre la sobre-carga de trabajo (Tiempo 1) y la orientación a la tarea (Tiempo 1) en la satisfacción laboral (Tiempo 2) cuando la muestra lleva trabajando más de un año en grupos. En la discusión indicamos las implicaciones de estos resultados para el contexto laboral de los grupos y para las relaciones intra-grupos en entornos reales de trabajo(AU)

Organizational perceptions, leadership and performance in work settings: do they interrelate? / Percepciones Organizacionales, Liderazgo y Desempeño en el Trabajo: ¿Están Relacionados?

An in depth review of literature shows that there is a pressing need to holistically understand how and why the organizational leadership process affects organizational behavior in outcomes (e.g. job performance) differently, depending on various national culture settings. One approach may seek to unveil the moderation of cultural values on the relationship between preferred as well as exhibited styles of leadership and behavioral organizational outcomes. An alternative approach may explore how and why cultural values affect the relationship between the quality of leader – subordinate relationships (LMX) and behavioral organizational outcomes differently. Moreover, as we notice a constant growth of aged workers in the composition of the work force in the Western World, these approaches should be addressed in relation to older managers and workers. The present paper attempts to reconcile these diametrically opposed approaches by conceiving a theoretical model synthesizing organizational justice, organizational leadership styles, LMX and behavioral organizational outcomes (i.e., job performance, organizational citizenship) as moderated by organizational culture in different national values settings and in relation to older employees. By conceptualizing the interrelationships of the various concepts, the paper provides a coherent basis for further research in this field(AU)

Una revisión en profundidad de la literatura muestra que hay una importante necesidad de comprender de manera integral cómo y por qué, dependiendo de la cultura nacional, el proceso de liderazgo influye de manera diferente en los resultados del comportamiento organizacional (desempeño en el trabajo, por ejemplo). Una de las perspectivas trata de desvelar el efecto moderador de los valores culturales en la relación entre los estilos de liderazgo preferidos y exhibidos con los resultados del comportamiento organizacional. Un enfoque alternativo explora cómo y por qué los valores culturales influyen diferencialmente en la relación entre la calidad de las relaciones líder-subordinado (LMX) y los resultados del comportamiento organizacional. Además, en tanto se aprecia un crecimiento constante de los trabajadores mayores en la composición de la fuerza de trabajo en el mundo occidental, estos enfoques deben ser planteados en conexión con los empleados y directivos de más edad. El presente artículo intenta conciliar estos enfoques diametralmente opuestos para concebir un modelo teórico que sintetice las relaciones entre la justicia organizacional, los estilos de liderazgo organizacional, las relaciones líder-miembro y los resultados del comportamiento organizacional (p. ej., el desempeño del trabajo, la ciudadanía organizativa), moderados por la cultura organizacional en diferentes valores nacionales y en relación a los empleados mayores. Al conceptuar la interrelación de los diversos conceptos, el artículo proporciona una base coherente para más investigación en este campo(AU)

Do we recover from vacation? Meta-analysis of vacation effects on health and well-being.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate to what extent vacation has positive effects on health and well-being, how long such effects endure after work resumption, and how specific vacation activities and experiences affect these relationships. METHODS: Based on a systematic literature search (PsycInfo, Medline) and methodological exclusion criteria, in a stepwise approach, 7 studies were selected and reviewed. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated i) for every outcome variable within every study, ii) for every study by averaging the effect sizes per study, and iii) for homogeneous categories of outcome variables (exhaustion, health complaints, life satisfaction). RESULTS: The results suggest that vacation has positive effects on health and well-being (small effect, d=+0.43), but that these effects soon fade out after work resumption (small effect, d=-0.38). Our research further demonstrated that vacation activities and experiences have hardly been studied. Therefore, their contribution to vacation effect and fade out remains unclear. DISCUSSION: Progress in future vacation research will depend on strong research designs that incorporate repeated measurements pre-, inter- and post-vacation.

The competitive imperative of learning.

Most executives believe that relentless execution--efficient, timely, consistent production and delivery of goods or services--is the surefire path to customer satisfaction and positive financial results. But this is a myth in the knowledge economy, argues Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor. She points to General Motors, which for years has remained wedded to a well-developed competency in centralized controls and efficient execution but has steadily lost ground, posting a record $38.7 billion loss in 2007. Such an execution-as-efficiency model results in employees who are exceedingly reluctant to offer ideas or voice questions and concerns. Placing value only on getting things right the first time, organizations are unable to take the risks necessary to improve and evolve. By contrast, firms that put a premium on what Edmondson calls execution-as-learning focus not so much on how a process should be carried out as on how it should evolve. Since 1980 General Electric, for instance, has continued to reinvent itself in every field from wind energy to medical diagnostics; and it enjoyed a $22.5 billion profit in 2007. Organizations that foster execution-as-learning provide employees with psychological safety. No one is penalized for asking for help or making a mistake. These companies also employ four distinct approaches to day-to-day work: They use the best available knowledge (which is understood to be a moving target) to inform the design of specific process guidelines. They encourage employee collaboration by making information available when and where it's needed. They routinely capture data on processes to discover how work really happens. Finally, they study these data in an effort to find ways to improve execution. Taken together, these practices form the basis of a learning infrastructure that makes continual learning part of business as usual.

Employee motivation: a powerful new model.

Motivating employees begins with recognizing that to do their best work, people must be in an environment that meets their basic emotional drives to acquire, bond, comprehend, and defend. So say Nohria and Groysberg, of Harvard Business School, and Lee, of the Center for Research on Corporate Performance. Using the results of surveys they conducted with employees at a wide range of Fortune 500 and other companies, they developed a model for how to increase workplace motivation dramatically. The authors identify the organizational levers that companies and frontline managers have at their disposal as they try to meet workers' deep needs. Reward systems that truly value good performance fulfill the drive to acquire. The drive to bond is best met by a culture that promotes collaboration and openness. Jobs that are designed to be meaningful and challenging meet the need to comprehend. Processes for performance management and resource allocation that are fair, trustworthy, and transparent address the drive to defend. Equipped with real-world company examples, the authors articulate how to apply these levers in productive ways. That application should not be selective, they argue, because a holistic approach gets you more than a piecemeal one. By using all four levers simultaneously, and thereby tackling all four drives, organizations can improve motivation levels by leaps and bounds. For example, a company that falls in the 50th percentile on employee motivation improves only to the 56th by boosting performance on one drive, but way up to the 88th percentile by doing better on all four drives. That's a powerful gain in competitive advantage that any business would relish.

Meaning in motivation: does your organization need an inner life?

Leaders of health care organizations are increasingly interested in ways to attract, retain, and gain commitment from their employees. This interest is created in part because high turnover rates and the lack of commitment negatively affect the provision of care and the bottom line in their organizations. In a quality and cost conscious health care environment, health care managers need to find solutions for these difficult issues; solutions that are effective, efficient and sustainable. What can be done? This article reviews, amplifies, and extends work that has been done in the area of "meaningfulness of work" in the context of employee retention and commitment. It begins with an exploration of the problems caused by lack of employee engagement and commitment including their impact on quality and costs. It then summarizes both the theoretical and applied research in the area of meaning and work. It also introduces the basic principles of Viktor Frankl's logotherapy (Frankl, 1998) as a foundation for encouraging the integration of meaning and work. The seminal work by Pattakos (2004) is used to demonstrate how Frankl's principles can be applied to healthcare work settings. Finally, the article provides suggestions for increasing employee commitment and engagement through identifying meaning and purpose in work.

Associations between self-reported working conditions and registered health and safety results.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between self-reported working conditions and registered health and safety results in a petroleum company in Norway. METHODS: We analyzed data from company surveys of working and organizational conditions in 2003 and 2004 and data from the company's files of sickness absence, personal injuries, serious incidents, and undesirable incidents in 2003 and 2004 as well as personal injuries from 2000 to 2004 using Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Good perception of confidence in management in 2003 and 2004 was significantly negatively correlated with the number of personal injuries from 2000 to 2004. CONCLUSIONS: Management style and trust in the manager are important factors for predicting personal injuries. The company's working and organizational survey might be used as an indicator for injury risk.