People management issues in Indian KPOs

Purpose: The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in India is evolving rapidly, and one of the key characteristics of this industry is the emergence of high-end services offered by knowledge processing outsourcing (KPO) organizations. These organizations are set to grow at a tremendous pace. Given the people-intensive nature of this industry, efficient employee management is bound to play a critical role. The literature lacks studies offering insights into the HR challenges involved and the ways in which they are addressed by KPOs. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to fill this gap by presenting findings from an in-depth case study of a KPO organization. Design/methodology/ approach: To achieve the research objective we adopted an in-depth case study approach. The research setting was that of a KPO organization in India, which specialises in offering complex analytics, accounting and support services to the real estate and financial services industries. Findings: The results of this study highlight the differences in the nature of work characteristics in such organizations as compared to call centres. The study also highlights some of the key people management challenges that these organizations face like attracting and retaining talent. The case company adopts formal, structured, transparent and innovative human resource practices. The study also highlights that such enlightened human resource practices stand on the foundations laid by an open work environment and facilitative leadership. Research limitations/implications: One of the key limitations is that the analysis is based on primary data from a single case study and only 18 interviews. The analysis contributes to the fields of KPO, HRM and India and has key messages for policy makers. Originality/value: The literature on outsourcing has in general focused on call centres established in the developed world. However, the booming BPO industry in India is also beginning to offer high-end services, which are far above the typical call centres. These KPOs and their people management challenges are relatively unexplored territories in the literature. By conducting this study in an emerging market (India) and focusing on people-related challenges in KPOs, this study attempts to provide a fresh perspective to the extant BPO literature. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

How do older people with sight loss manage their general health? A qualitative study

Purpose: Older people with sight loss experience a number of barriers to managing their health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how older people with sight loss manage their general health and explore the techniques used and strategies employed for health management. Methods: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 30 participants. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Health management challenges experienced included: managing multiple health conditions; accessing information; engaging in health behaviours and maintaining wellbeing. Positive strategies included: joining support groups, clubs and societies; using low vision aids; seeking support from family and friends and accessing support through health and social care services. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals need to be more aware of the challenges faced by older people with sight loss. Improved promotion of group support and charity services which are best placed to share information, provide fora to learn about coping techniques and strategies, and give older people social support to prevent isolation is needed. Rehabilitation and support services and equipment can only be beneficial if patients know what is available and how to access them. Over-reliance on self-advocacy in current healthcare systems is not conducive to patient-centred care. Implications for Rehabilitation Sight loss in older people can impact on many factors including health management. This study identifies challenges to health management and highlights strategies used by older people with sight loss to manage their health. Access to support often relies on patients seeking information for themselves. However, self-advocacy is challenging due to information accessibility barriers. Informal groups and charities play an important role in educating patients about their condition and advising on available support to facilitate health management.

E-HR and international HRM:a critical perspective on the discursive framing of e-HR

In the current global economic climate, international HRM is facing unprecedented pressure to become more innovative, effective and efficient. New discourses are emerging around the application of information technology, with 'e-HR' (electronic-enablement of Human Resources), self-service portals and promises of improved services couched as various HR 'value propositions'. This study explores these issues through our engagement with the emergent stream of 'critical' HRM, the broader study of organizational discourse and ethical management theories. We have found that while there is growing research into the take-up of e-HR applications, there is a dearth of investigation into the impact of e-HR on the people involved; in particular, the (re)structuring of social relations between HR functions and line managers in the move away from face-to-face HR support services, to more technology-mediated 'self-service' relationships. We undertake a close reading of personal narratives from a multinational organization, deploying a critical discourse lens to examine different dimensions of e-HR and raise questions about the strong technocratic framing of the international language of people management, shaping line manager enactment of e-HR duties. We argue for a more reflexive stance in the conceptualization e-HR, and conclude with a discussion about the theoretical and practical implications of our study, limitations and suggestions for future research. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis.

SmartBook – the future E-book and educatonal hypermedia

Доклад по покана, поместен в сборника на Националната конференция "Образованието в информационното общество", Пловдив, май, 2009

Servitization and competitive advantage:the importance of organizational structure and value chain position

Servitization represents a business-model change and organizational transformation from selling goods to selling an integrated combination of goods and services. Competitive advantage is one outcome of this shift. During servitization, companies follow stages to realize services as an opportunity to differentiate from goods and achieve higher customer satisfaction. This study analyzes this transition from base, intermediate, and advanced services by presenting results from 102 senior executives in multinational companies. Our results suggest increasing interest in service-led strategies in manufacturing companies. The results also show that increasing differentiation and high customer satisfaction are fundamental to achieving competitive advantage and superior performance with services. The analysis also indicates the importance of a company’s position in the value chain and the organizational structure it selects to support services in successful servitization.

Smartbook: Semantics Inside

This paper presents a vision for the future of the e-books which entails further development of technologies that will facilitate the creation and use of a new generation of "smart" books: e-books that are evolving, highly interactive, customisable, adaptable, intelligent, and furnished with a rich set of collaborative authoring and reading support services. The proposed set of tools will be integrated into an intelligent framework for collaborative book authoring and experiencing called SmartBook. The paper promotes the idea that the semantic technologies, intensively developed recently in connection with the Semantic Web initiative, can be incorporated in the book and become the key factor of making it "smarter".

Effectiveness of the interventions in preventing the progression of pre-frailty and frailty in older adults:a systematic review protocol

REVIEW QUESTION / OBJECTIVE : The objective of this review is to identify the effectiveness of the interventions in preventing progression of pre-frailty and frailty in older adults. More specifically, the review questions are: - What is the effectiveness of interventions in preventing or reducing frailty in older adults? - How does effectiveness vary with degree of frailty? - Are there factors that influence the effectiveness of interventions? - What is the economic feasibility of interventions for pre-frailty and frailty? INCLUSION CRITERIA : Types of participants This review will consider studies that include older adults (female and male) aged 65 years and over, explicitly identified as pre-frail or frail by the researchers or associated medical professionals according to a pre-specified scale or index, and who have received health care and support services in any type of setting (primary care, nursing homes, hospitals). This review will exclude studies that: - Include participants who have been selected because they have one specific illness - Consider people with a terminal diagnosis only. - Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest: The clinical/medical component of the review will consider studies that evaluate any type of interventions to prevent the progression of pre-frailty and frailty in older adults. These interventions will include, but will not be limited to, physical activity, multifactorial intervention, psychosocial intervention, health and social care provision, and cognitive, nutrition or medication/medical maintenance and adherence focused interventions. The economic component of the review will consider studies that have performed any type of health economic analysis of ...

Assessing the effectiveness of five-year mechanical engineering technology programs of junior colleges in Taiwan, R.O.C.: An application of the CIPP evaluation model

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical engineering technology curriculum effectiveness at the junior college in Taiwan by using the CIPP evaluation model. The study concerned the areas of the curriculum, curriculum materials, individualized instruction, support services, teaching effectiveness, student achievement, and job performance. A descriptive survey method was used with questionnaires for data collection from faculty, students, graduates, and employers.^ All categories of respondents tended to agree that the curriculum provides appropriate occupational knowledge and skills. Students, graduates, and faculty tended to be satisfied with the curriculum; faculty tended to be satisfied with student achievement; graduates tended to be satisfied with their job preparation; and employers were most satisfied with graduates' job performance.^ Conclusions were drawn in the context, input, process, and product of the CIPP model. In Context area: Students were dissatisfied with curriculum flexibility in students characteristics. Graduates were dissatisfied with curriculum design for student's adaptability in new economic and industrial conditions; practicum flexibility in student characteristics; and course overlap. Both students and graduates were dissatisfied with practicum credit hours. Both faculty and students were dissatisfied with the number of required courses.^ In Input area: Students, faculty, and graduates perceived audiovisuals and manipulative aids positively. Faculty and students perceive CAI implementation positively. Students perceived textbooks negatively.^ In Process area: Faculty, students, and graduates perceived all support service negatively. Faculty tended to perceive the ratios of graduates who enter advanced study and related occupation, and who passed the professional skills certification, negatively. Students tended to perceive teaching effectiveness in terms of instructional strategies, the quality of instruction, overall suitability, and receivable, negatively. Graduates also tended to identify the instructional strategies as a negative perception. Faculty and students perceived curriculum objectives and practicum negatively. Both faculty and students felt that instructors should be more interested in making the courses a useful learning experience.^ In Product area: Employers were satisfied with graduates' academic preparation and job performance, adaptability, punctuality, and their ability to communicate, cooperate, and meet organization needs. Graduates were weak in terms of equipment familiarity and supervisory ability.^ In sum, the curriculum of the five-year mechanical engineering technology programs of junior college in Taiwan has served adequately up to this time in preparing a work force to enter industry. It is now time to look toward the future and adapt the curriculum and instruction for the future needs of this high-tech society. ^

Assessing the effectiveness of two-year banking and insurance technology programs of junior colleges in Taiwan, R.O.C.: An application of the Context Input Process Product (CIPP) evaluation model

The purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate the banking and insurance technology curriculum at ten junior colleges in Taiwan. The study focused on curriculum, curriculum materials, instruction, support services, student achievement and job performance. Data was collected from a diverse sample of faculty, students, alumni, and employers. ^ Questionnaires on the evaluation of curriculum at technical junior colleges were developed for use in this specific case. Data were collected from the sample described above and analyzed utilizing ANOVA, T-Tests and crosstabulations. Findings are presented which indicate that there is room for improvement in terms of meeting individual students' needs. ^ Using Stufflebeam's CIPP model for curriculum evaluation it was determined that the curriculum was adequate in terms of the knowledge and skills imparted to students. However, students were dissatisfied with the rigidity of the curriculum and the lack of opportunity to satisfy the individual needs of students. Employers were satisfied with both the academic preparation of students and their on the job performance. ^ In sum, the curriculum of the two-year banking and insurance technology programs of junior college in Taiwan was shown to have served adequately preparing a work force to enter businesses. It is now time to look toward the future and adapt the curriculum and instruction for the future needs of the ever evolving high-tech society. ^

An assessment of computer usage within the Bahamian public school system and recommended guidelines towards the development of a strategic national computer plan

Computers have dramatically changed the way we live, conduct business, and deliver education. They have infiltrated the Bahamian public school system to the extent that many educators now feel the need for a national plan. The development of such a plan is a challenging undertaking, especially in developing countries where physical, financial, and human resources are scarce. This study assessed the situation with regard to computers within the Bahamian public school system, and provided recommended guidelines to the Bahamian government based on the results of a survey, the body of knowledge about trends in computer usage in schools, and the country's needs. ^ This was a descriptive study for which an extensive review of literature in areas of computer hardware, software, teacher training, research, curriculum, support services and local context variables was undertaken. One objective of the study was to establish what should or could be relative to the state-of-the-art in educational computing. A survey was conducted involving 201 teachers and 51 school administrators from 60 randomly selected Bahamian public schools. A random stratified cluster sampling technique was used. ^ This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Quantitative methods were used to summarize the data about numbers and types of computers, categories of software available, peripheral equipment, and related topics through the use of forced-choice questions in a survey instrument. Results of these were displayed in tables and charts. Qualitative methods, data synthesis and content analysis, were used to analyze the non-numeric data obtained from open-ended questions on teachers' and school administrators' questionnaires, such as those regarding teachers' perceptions and attitudes about computers and their use in classrooms. Also, interpretative methodologies were used to analyze the qualitative results of several interviews conducted with senior public school system's officials. Content analysis was used to gather data from the literature on topics pertaining to the study. ^ Based on the literature review and the data gathered for this study a number of recommendations are presented. These recommendations may be used by the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to establish policies with regard to the use of computers within the public school system. ^

Community college adjunct policies and practices: Incumbents' perspectives and congruence with learning organization tenets

The primary research question was: What is the nature and degree of alignment between the tenets of learning organizations and the policies and practices of a community college concerning adjunct instructors? I investigated the employment experiences of 8 adjunct instructors at a large community college in the Southeastern U.S. to (a) describe and explain the perspectives of the adjuncts, (b) describe and explain my own adjunct employment experience at the same college, (c) determine how the adjunct policies and practices collectively encountered were congruent with or at variance with the tenets of learning organizations, and (d) to use this framework to support recommendations that may help the college achieve more favorable alignment with these tenets. ^ Data on perceived adjunct policies and practices were reduced into 11 categories and, using matrices, were compared with 5 major categories of learning organization tenets. The 5 categories of tenets were: (a) inputs, (b) information flow/communication, (c) employee inclusion/value, (d) teamwork, and (e) facilitation of change. The 11 categories of the college's policies and practices were (a) becoming an adjunct, (b) full-time employment aspirations, (c) salary, (d) benefits, (e) job security and predictability, (f) job satisfaction, (g) respect, (h) support services, (i) professional development, (j) institutional inclusion, and (k) future role of adjuncts. The reflective journal component relied on a 5-year (1995–2000) personal and professional journal maintained by me during employment with the same college as the participants. ^ Findings indicate that the college's adjunct policies and practices were most incongruent with 25 of the 70 learning organization tenets. These incongruencies spanned the 5 categories, although most occurred in the Employee/Inclusion/Value category. Adjunct instructors wanted inclusion, respect, value, trust, and empowerment in decision making processes that affect adjunct policies and practices of the college, but did not perceive this to be a part of the present situation. ^

Achievement motivation attributes of international students attending a *postsecondary institution

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the causal attributes of achievement motivation for academic success possessed by international students to those causal attributes of achievement motivation by other legal immigrant student groups attending a postsecondary institution. In this study, F-1 international students have obtained permission from the federal Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services to attend Miami-Dade Community College in Miami, Florida. There were two additional groups of students selected to participate in this study: Permanent Resident students and Others comprised of asylees, refugees and paroles, which are specific categories of legal immigrant students.^ From the observations of the investigator, international students were more successful at the institution as compared to the other two student groups as measured by such variables as Grade Point Average, Number of Credits Earned and Honors Day awards. By identifying these attributes of achievement motivation, additional curricula, support services and activities can be developed to meet the needs of these highly motivated students.^ Incorporating the theories of McClelland and Weiner in the theoretical framework of the study, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 150 subjects using the Measurement of Achievement Motivation Questionnaire and the Guided Biography Interview as data collection instruments. Statistical analyses on the data collected from the three groups of foreign born students at the institution indicated differences in these identified attributes and their effects on academic success.^ Results indicated that F-1 international students at Miami-Dade Community College were highly motivated to achieve, possessed different causal attributes of achievement motivation and displayed their need for achievement in different activities and in different ways as compared to the Permanent Resident and Other student groups. Further investigation on the importance of residency status as an influencing factor of achievement motivation is suggested. ^

The early development and pilot -testing of a case management intervention with victims of stalking: An evaluation study

This study evaluated the early development and pilot-testing of Project IMPACT, a case management intervention for victims of stalking. The Design and Development framework (Rothman & Thomas, 1994) was used as a guide for program development and evaluation. Nine research questions examined the processes and outcomes associated with program implementation. ^ The sample included all 36 clients who participated in Project IMPACT between February of 2000 and June of 2001, as well as the victim advocates who provided them with services. Quantitative and qualitative data were drawn from client case files, participant observation field notes and interview transcriptions. Quantitative data were entered into three databases where: (1) clients were the units of analysis (n = 36), (2) services were the units of analysis (n = 1146), and (3) goals were the units of analysis (n = 149). These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square, Spearman's Rho, Phi, Cramer's V, Wilcoxon's Matched Pairs Signed-Ranked Test and McNemar's Test Statistic. Qualitative data were reduced via open, axial and selective coding methods. Grounded theory and case study frameworks were utilized to analyze these data. ^ Results showed that most clients noted an improved sense of well-being and safety, although residual symptoms of trauma remained for numerous individuals. Stalkers appeared to respond to criminal and civil justice-based interventions by reducing violent and threatening behaviors; however, covert behaviors continued. The study produced findings that provided preliminary support for the use of several intervention components including support services, psycho-education, safety planning, and boundary spanning. The psycho-education and safety planning in particular seemed to help clients cognitively reframe their perceptions of the stalking experience and gain a sense of increased safety and well-being. A 65% level of satisfactory goal achievement was observed overall, although goals involving justice-based organizations were associated with lower achievement. High service usage was related to low-income clients and those lacking in social support. Numerous inconsistencies in program implementation were found to be associated with the skills and experiences of victim advocates. Thus, recommendations were made to further refine, develop and evaluate the intervention. ^

The relationship between job structure, burnout, and coping methods among public school county bus drivers, bus aides, mechanics, and clerical workers

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the structure of jobs and burnout, and to assess to what extent, if any this relationship was moderated by individual coping methods. This study was supported by the Karasek's (1998) Job Demand-Control-Support theory of work stress as well as Maslach and Leiter's (1993) theory of burnout. Coping was examined as a moderator based on the conceptualization of Lazarus and Folkman (1984). ^ Two overall overarching questions framed this study: (a) what is the relationship between job structure, as operationalized by job title, and burnout across different occupations in support services in a large municipal school district? and (b) To what extent do individual differences in coping methods moderate this relationship? ^ This study was a cross-sectional study of county public school bus drivers, bus aides, mechanics, and clerical workers (N = 253) at three bus depot locations within the same district using validated survey instruments for data collection. Hypotheses were tested using simultaneous regression analyses. ^ Findings indicated that there were statistically significant and relevant relationships among the variables of interest; job demands, job control, burnout, and ways of coping. There was a relationship between job title and physical job demands. There was no evidence to support a relationship between job title and psychological demands. Furthermore, there was a relationship between physical demands, emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment; key indicators of burnout. ^ Results showed significant correlations between individual ways of coping as a moderator between job structure, operationalized by job title, and individual employee burnout adding empirical evidence to the occupational stress literature. Based on the findings, there are implications for theory, research, and practice. For theory and research, the findings suggest the importance of incorporating transactional models in the study of occupational stress. In the area of practice, the findings highlight the importance of enriching jobs, increasing job control, and providing individual-level training related to stress reduction.^

Online Education, Accrediting Standards, and Student Success: An Examination of the Relationship Between the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Standards for Online Education and Student Success

Prior to 2000, there were less than 1.6 million students enrolled in at least one online course. By fall 2010, student enrollment in online distance education showed a phenomenal 283% increase to 6.1 million. Two years later, this number had grown to 7.1 million. In light of this significant growth and skepticism about quality, there have been calls for greater oversight of this format of educational delivery. Accrediting bodies tasked with this oversight have developed guidelines and standards for online education. There is a lack of empirical studies that examine the relationship between accrediting standards and student success. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the presence of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College (SACSCOC) standards for online education in online courses, (a) student support services and (b) curriculum and instruction, and student success. An original 24-item survey with an overall reliability coefficient of .94 was administered to students (N=464) at Florida International University, enrolled in 24 university-wide undergraduate online courses during fall 2014, who rated the presence of these standards in their online courses. The general linear model was utilized to analyze the data. The results of the study indicated that the two standards, student support services and curriculum and instruction were both significantly and positively correlated with student success but with small R2 and strengths of association less than .35 and .20 respectively. Mixed results were produced from Chi-square tests for differences in student success between higher and lower rated online courses when controlling for various covariates such as discipline, gender, race/ethnicity, GPA, age, and number of online courses previously taken. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the curriculum and instruction standard was the only variable that accounted for a significant amount of unique variance in student success. Another regression test revealed that no significant interaction effect exists between the two SACSCOC standards and GPA in predicting student success. The results of this study are useful for administrators, faculty, and researchers who are interested in accreditation standards for online education and how these standards relate to student success.