A Case-base Approach to Workforces’ Satisfaction Assessment

It is well known that human resources play a valuable role in a sustainable organizational development. Indeed, this work will focus on the development of a decision support system to assess workers’ satisfaction based on factors related to human resources management practices. The framework is built on top of a Logic Programming approach to Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, complemented with a Case Based approach to computing. The proposed solution is unique in itself, once it caters for the explicit treatment of incomplete, unknown, or even self-contradictory information, either in terms of a qualitative or quantitative setting. Furthermore, clustering methods based on similarity analysis among cases were used to distinguish and aggregate collections of historical data or knowledge in order to reduce the search space, therefore enhancing the cases retrieval and the overall computational process.

Historical landmarks of decent work

Structured Abstract Purpose: this article systemizes the main historical milestones which led to the current concept of decent work and presents some implications for business. Approach: after presenting the scenario which gives a special meaning and importance to decent work, the historical landmarks are systematized until the definition of the Decent Work Agenda. Findings: Decent work is a concept that has evolved since the ILO Foundation in 1919 and had several important steps throughout its development: Philadelphia Declaration in 1944, ILO constitution update in 1946, Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, Human Development Report, first edition in 1990, World Summit for Social Development in 1995, ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in 1998, World Economic Forum in 1999, Global Compact in 2000, United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000, ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization in 2008, Global Jobs Compact in 2009, and inclusion in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Throughout this development we can witness the refinement and operationalization of the concept, its institutionalization and its spread at political level, at least as an intention. Practical implications: the business area is a privileged forum to turn policies into practices and some examples are provided. Value: although decent work emerged in a very different social and economic scenario from the present time, it is claimed to be even more topical and relevant for the development of business and society today.

Intercultural Management

Globalization has increasingly brought permanent contact with people whose cultural background is different from what many would consider their ‘own’ culture. The area of intercultural management is of critical interest due to the impact of increased European and global migration, which has required health and social care leaders and managers to develop competency to respond to the diversity and changing needs of their workforce and service users. The communities within the European Union are now often characterised by significant diversity whether at cultural, social, or psychological levels. The purpose of this chapter is to enable health and social care practitioners to assume a clinical/ professional leadership role in quality intercultural management in the health and social care sector. This chapter will focus on developing health and social care practitioners’ knowledge and understanding in the area of intercultural management within contemporary health and social care organisations. It will focus on the critical application of knowledge to practice through the provision of underpinning knowledge, understanding and debates surrounding contemporary issues and practices in the areas of intercultural management. Many practitioners accessing this information may already work in the heath/social sector and this critical focus on intercultural and diversity management has the potential to improve the quality in health and social care services through the critical application to practice.