The effects of social networks on work-team effectiveness

This is a study of team social networks, their antecedents and outcomes. In focusing attention on the structural configuration of the team this research contributes to a new wave of thinking concerning group social capital. The research site was a random sample of Finnish work organisations. The data consisted of 499 employees in 76 teams representing 48 different organisations. A systematic literature review and quantitative methods were used in conducting the research: the former primarily to establish the current theoretical position on the relationships among the variables and the latter to test these relationships. Social network analysis was the primary method used in identifying the social-network relations among the work-team members. The first and key contribution of this study is that it relates the structuralnetwork properties of work teams to behavioural outcomes, attitudinal outcomes and, ultimately, team performance. Moreover, it shows that addressing attitudinal outcomes is also important in terms of team performance; attitudinal outcomes (team identity) mediated the relationship between the team���s performance and its social network. The second contribution is that it examines the possible antecedents of the social structure. It is thus one response to Salancik���s (1995) call for a network theory in that it explains why certain network characteristics exist. Itdemonstrates that irrespective of whether or not a team is heterogeneous in terms of age or gender, educational diversity may protect it from centralisation. However, heterogeneity in terms of gender turned out to have a negative impact on density. Thirdly, given the observation that the benefits of (team) networks are typically theorised and modelled without reference to the nature of the relationships comprising the structure, the study directly tested whether team knowledge mediated the effects of instrumental and expressive network relationships on team performance. Furthermore, with its focus on expressive networks that link the workplace to a more informal world, which have been rather neglected in previous research, it enhances knowledge of teams andnetworks. The results indicate that knowledge sharing fully mediates the influence of complementarities between dense and fragmented instrumental network relationships, thus providing empirical validation of the implicit understanding that networks transfer knowledge. Fourthly, the study findings suggest that an optimal configuration of the work-team social-network structure combines both bridging and bonding social relationships.

Mission and development : Finnish Pentecostal, Lutheran and Orthodox mission agencies in development work in Kenya 1948 - 1989

��r 1974 b��rjade den finska regeringen kanalisera pengar f��r utvecklingssamarbete genom medborgarorganisationer. Tre ��r senare och fram till ��r 1988 beviljade regeringen ett speciellt anslag specifikt f��r missionsorganisationers utvecklingsprojekt. De finska pingstv��nnerna, lutheranerna och de ortodoxa utvidgade samtliga sitt sociala arbete i Kenya med statens st��d. Deras projekt var likadana: alla byggde l��roanstalter, utvecklade Kenyas h��lsoservice och sysselsatte kenyaner. Olikheterna mellan pingstv��nnerna, lutheranerna och de ortodoxa blev tydliga genom diverse problem som de m��tte inom ramen f��r utvecklingssamarbetet. Den finska pingstr��relsen bestod av sj��lvst��ndiga f��rsamlingar, och pingstv��nnerna m��ste omvandla sin takorganisation, Suomen Vapaa Ulkol��hetys, s�� att utvecklingsprojekt blev en viktig gren av dess verksamhet. Lutheranerna som till en b��rjan hade s��nt mission��rer f��r att arbeta i den kenyanska kyrkans tj��nst b��rjade i medlet av 1970-talet i ��kande grad bygga sociala anstalter med statens pengar. Ett problem var att statens st��d varade endast f��r en begr��nsad tid och att den lutherska kyrkan i Kenya inte hade r��d att ��verta dessa anstalter och t��cka deras l��pande kostnader i framtiden. De finska ortodoxa, f��r sin del, ig��ngsatte sociala projekt i samarbete med de ortodoxa i Kenya. Under n��gra ��r fick de dock l��ra sig att de inte kunde driva sj��lvst��ndiga utvecklingsprojekt i Patriarkens i Alexandria maktsf��r. Den finska ortodoxa missionen blev tvungen att underkasta sig ��rkebiskopen i Nairobi. ��r f��r ��r beviljade den finska regeringen st��rre anslag f��r missionsorganisationernas utvecklingsprojekt och statens ansvar f��r kostnaderna ��kade fr��n 50% till 60% ��r 1984. Intressant nog mottog b��de lutheranerna och de ortodoxa mindre statliga pengar f��r utvecklingssamarbete ��r 1989 ��n 1984. D��remot v��xte pingstv��nnernas utvecklingssamarbete i Kenya under hela 1980-talet. Eftersom pingstv��nnerna inte ville anv��nda sina medlemmarnas pengar (som var avsedda f��r missionsverksamhet) till sociala projekt t��ckte de sin andel i utvecklingskostnaderna med pengar fr��n utanf��rst��ende. Pingstv��nnerna utvecklade en omfatttande komersiell och ��ven industriell verksamhet f��r att samla in pengar f��r sina utvecklingsprojekt.

Applying organizational core values in everyday delivery work - case Accenture

The purpose of this thesis is to study organizational core values and their application in practice. With the help of literature, the thesis discusses the implementation of core values and the benefits that companies can gain by doing it successfully. Also, ways in which companies can improve their values��� application to their everyday work are presented. The case company���s value implementation is evaluated through a survey research conducted on their employees. The true power of values lies in their application, and therefore, core values should be the basis for all organizational behavior, integrated into everything a company does. Applying values in practice is an ongoing process and companies should continuously work towards creating a more value-based organizational culture. If a company does this effectively, they will most likely become more successful with stakeholders as well as financially. Companies looking to turn their values into actions should start with a self-assessment. Employee surveys are effective in assessing the current level of value implementation, since employees have valuable, first-hand information regarding the situations and behaviors they face in their everyday work. After the self-assessment, things like management commitment, communication, training, and support are key success factors in value implementation.

Mental Well-being at Work. A Sign of a Healthy Organisation and a Necessary Precondition for Organisational Development

One of the aims of the study was to clarify the reliability and validity of the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) and the Eigenzustand (EZ) method as measures of the objective characteristics of work and short-term mental work load in the Finnish data. The reliability and validity were examined taking into consideration the theoretical backgrounds of the methods and the reliability of the measurements. The methods were used for finding out the preconditions for organisational development based on self-improvement and clarifying the impacts of working environment (organisational functioning and job characteristics) on a worker���s mental state and health. The influences were examined on a general level - regardless of individual personal or specific contextual factors. One aim was also to clarify how cognitions and emotions are intertwined and how they influence a person���s perception of the working environment. The data consisted of 15 blue-collar organisations in the public sector. The organisations were divided in target and comparison groups depending on the research frames. The data was collected by questionnaires by post. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (Lisrel) were used as the main statistical methods in examining the structures of the methods and impacts between the variables. It was shown that it is possible for organisations to develop their working conditions themselves on specific preconditions. The advance of the development processes could be shown by the amount of the development activity as well as by the changes of the mental well-being (ability to act) and sick absenteeism of the personnel. It was found that the JDS and the EZ methods were reliable and valid measures in the Finnish data. It was shown that, in addition to the objective working environment (organisational functioning and job characteristics), also such a personal factor as selfesteem influences a person���s perception of mental work load. However, the influence did not seem to be direct. The importance of job satisfaction as a general indicator of perceived working conditions was emphasised. Emotional and cognitive factors were found to be functionally intertwined constituting a common factor. Organisational functioning and the characteristics of work had connections with a person���s health measured by sick absenteeism.

Social work in Palestine : part 2 : case management

Arabiankielinen

Work-related crisis exposure : psychological trauma and PTSD in news journalists

I avhandlingen unders��ktes hur journalister sj��lva reagerar efter att ha arbetat med en pl��tslig krissituation, samt vilka faktorer som kan bidra till en f��rh��jd risk f��r allvarliga l��ngsiktiga stressymptom. Temat unders��ktes (1) genom att se p�� hur journalisters tidigare erfarenheter av krisuppdrag och traumatiska upplevelser i privatlivet var relaterade till stressymptom (posttraumatiskt stressyndrom, sekund��r traumatisk stress, depression och utmattningssyndrom), och (2) genom att studera riskfaktorer i en identifierad typ av kris, de finl��ndska skolskjutningarna 2007-08. Avhandlingens resultat baserades p�� enk��tsvar fr��n finl��ndska nyhetsjournalister (N = 503) och intervjuer med personer som jobbat p�� plats vid skolskjutningar (N = 28). En klar majoritet av journalisterna hade inte allvarliga l��ngsiktiga stressymptom vid tiden f��r unders��kningen. De som varit p�� ett tidigare krisuppdrag d��r man bevittnat m��nga obehagliga detaljer hade fler allvarliga stressymptom. En annan riskfaktor var att ha ett f��rflutet med fler traumatiska h��ndelser i privatlivet. Bland de som arbetat med skolskjutningar var starka kortsiktiga reaktioner, t.ex. hj��lpl��shet och chock, relativt vanliga. Reaktionerna h��rde ��nd�� oftast till den normala ��terh��mtningsprocessen, och ledde inte till en l��ngsiktig f��rs��mring av m��endet. Journalister som i h��g grad identifierade sig med krisen, t.ex. personer med egna barn, hade st��rre risk f��r att drabbas av allvarliga symptom p�� l��ng sikt. Detsamma g��llde de som p�� plats upplevt journalistiska etiska dilemman, t.ex. att beordras av ��verordnade till uppdrag som gick emot egna principer. F��r att f��rebygga psykisk stress bland journalister ��r det viktigt att inom branschen sprida kunskap om stressreaktioner och utveckla rekommendationer f��r etisk krisjournalistik. D��rmed kan journalister f�� b��ttre verktyg f��r att minimera risken att via sitt yrkesut��vande orsaka ytterligare skada ��t krisdrabbade.

Work for your happiness - Theoretical and empirical study defining and measuring happiness at work

There are vast changes in the work environment, and the traditional rules and management methods might not be suitable for today���s employees anymore. The meaning of work is also changing due to the younger and higher educated generations entering the markets. Old customs need to be re-validated and new approaches should be taken into use. This paper strongly emphasizes the importance of happiness research and happiness at work. The values towards the meaning of work are changing; people demand happiness and quality from all aspects of their lives. The aim of this study is to define happiness - especially at work - and to explain how it can be measured and what kind of results achieved. I also want to find out how the contents of work and the working environment might enhance happiness. The correlation between education and happiness is discussed and examined. I am aware that the findings and theories are concentrating mainly on Western Countries and highlighting the values and work-environments of those societies. The main aim of the empirical study is to find out if there are connections between happiness and work in data collected by World Value Survey in 2005, and if the profession has effects on happiness. Other factors such as the correlation of age, sex, education and income are examined too. I also want to find out what kind of values people have towards work and how these affect the happiness levels. The focus is on two nations: Finland (N=1014) and Italy (N=1012). I have also taken the global comparison within, that is all 54 countries (N=66,566) included in the 5th wave (during the years 2005 -2008) of the World Value Survey. The results suggest that people are generally happy around the world; happiness decreasing with the age, the educated being happier than the uneducated and the employed happier than the unemployed. People working in neat ���white collar��� jobs are more likely happier than those working in factories or outdoors. Money makes us happier, until certain level is reached. Work is important to people and the importance of work adds happiness. Work is also highly appreciated, but there are more happy people among those who do not appreciate work that highly. Safety matters the most when looking for a job, and there are more happy people among those who have selected the importance of work as the first choice when looking for a job, than among those to whom an income is the most important aspect. People are more likely happy when the quality of work is high, that is when their job consists of creative and cognitive tasks and when they have a feeling of independence.

We do the work you enjoy the trip

kuv., 10 x 21 cm

We do the work you enjoy the trip

kuv., 10 x 21 cm