Search

Pharmacy practice change is facilitated by delegation, teamwork, leadership and reorganization of personnel structure and roles. The international pharmaceutical federation (FIP) recommends that society should have access to appropriately trained pharmaceutical personnel. Three cadres form the pharmacy workforce: pharmacists, technicians and pharmacy assistants or dispensers. Globally, the training, regulation, scope, and status of technicians and dispensers vary. Role tensions exist between pharmacists and technicians which impact both workplace behaviour and performance. Literature on role expansion for pharmacy technicians excludes (reference to) the contribution of the pharmacy assistant or dispenser. Unlike the technician, the dispenser largely lacks professional recognition. But overlaps between the roles of the technician and dispenser can occur leading to further tensions in the pharmacy workplace. 'Unhealthy'' intra-professional conflicts obstruct the pharmacist practice envisioned by the WHO 7-star pharmacist. A solution that brings together the 3 cadres in joint or shared action is desirable. Social theory suggests that intercadre conflicts could be both necessary and inevitable. Being political nature, the tensions can be moderated by a ''political settlement''. The present paper is a reconstruction of and reflection of the author's journey in building a harmonious pharmacy workforce. Professionalizing the dispenser cadre restructures the hierarchy of the pharmacy workforce leading to harmony which in turn improves organizational performance. Lessons learned from this case can be applied to resolve workplace tensions in other settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of a private jet company's change of workplace on employees' satisfaction using specific variables from a conceptual framework of workplace change appraisal. Another purpose of the study is to identify the relationships between staff characteristics and satisfied aspects of a work environment. Design/methodology/approach: A case study was conducted at MJets – a company in the aviation and private jet sector. The research methods included field surveys, document analysis and a set of questionnaires on employee satisfaction, which were then analysed and discussed. Findings: The findings show that organisational contexts, work processes and implementation processes have an impact on workplace change and employees' needs and preferences, which affect their responses to the work environment. The most satisfied aspects of a work environment include the ceiling height of each floor, the square-metre area of buildings and the amount of light in the work area. Despite the new work environment, employees are scarcely satisfied with building accessibility, storage, archive facilities and privacy. The relationships between staff characteristics (i.e. working hours, job functions, mode of transport and duration of employment) and employee satisfaction with the work environment are statistically tested. The study shows statistically significant results including the following: mode of transport and satisfaction with parking spaces, job functions and satisfaction with building accessibility and job functions and satisfaction with storage and archive facilities. Research limitations/implications: According to a business type, the provision and arrangement of the work environment of a private jet company that is different from other office organisations affect both the generalisation and the generalisability of the study. This study was conducted in Thailand. The impact of the national culture may have also influenced the outcomes. Practical implications: The findings and the reflections upon them help understand the complex relationships of variables influencing workplace change appraisal. The focus is on employee involvement; communication with employees in the preparation and implementation processes may be an effective way to promote workplace change objectives and help facility managers reduce negative impacts of workplace change. Originality/value: This paper contributes to prior research on workplace change appraisal and provides evidence for both positive and negative impacts of workplace change on employee satisfaction with the work environment. Identifying the impact of workplace change on employee satisfaction through the conceptual framework contributes to the body of research on facilities management. In addition, the conceptual framework of workplace change appraisal can be applied by practitioners in the field of workplace design and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How are hospital staff involved in process improvement initiatives such as Lean? What can we learn from Lean implementation experiences about the sustainability of such initiatives? The authors considered such questions in a study of workplace change in Australia and Canada. They found that Lean is more likely to be sustained when leaders adopted the 4P recommendations presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the roles of human resource management (HRM) specialists in the contemplation and implementation of innovation in employing organisations and workplaces.Design/methodology/approach The authors review some of the literature and practice in this field as well as 11 other articles that are included in this special issue.Findings The authors propose six research questions. First, are HRM specialists analysing relevant trends and their implications for the future of work and the workforce? Second, are HRM specialists enabling employing organisations to identify and enable innovative ideas? Third, to what extent are HRM specialists leading partnership arrangements with organised labour? Fourth, what is the role of HRM specialists in creating inclusive work environments? Fifth, how should HRM specialists change to foster enterprise performance, intrapreneurship, agility, creativity and innovation? Sixth, to what extent is there an HRM function for line managers in coordination with HRM specialists in engendering innovation around “change agent” roles?Originality/value The authors argue that HRM specialists should embrace and enable innovation. The authors challenge HRM specialists to consider how they can contribute to facilitating innovation. The paper proposes further research on HRM and range of associated stakeholders who, together, have responsibility for innovating in the design and delivery of HRM to enrich our knowledge of HRM and workplace innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to address the management of people and their working behaviour successfully during workplace change – from a traditional way of working towards new ways of working. The study was based on the observation that during workplace change, organisations often fail to see the importance of managing (working) behaviour during the process of workplace change. The focus is mostly on the design of the new working environment and the information technology in it. However, these do not seem to be the determining aspects of the success of workplace change, merely necessary boundary conditions. This paper will elucidate how internal communication can make the greatest impact on shifting people’s working behaviour and attitudes and thus manage it effectively.Design/methodology/approach A literature study has been conducted to investigate the relation between the topics of new ways of working, workplace change and internal communication. This study surfaced the importance of the aspect of (working) behaviour within workplace change. Subsequently, a field study was performed, during which several interviews were held with the project team of the R&D department of a chemical multinational, who is on the brink of implementing a new workplace concept. Also, focus group interviews were held with their employees to research personal views on expected working behaviour.Findings The outcomes of the research, literature review and field study clarify the critical success factors for internal communication to manage the workplace change, so it lives up to the expectations. These are: face-to-face communication, assigning the manager the role of workplace change leader and use internal communication to inform employees and inspire them.Originality/value In this paper, the behavioural aspect has been identified as a key determinant of perceived success of a new workplace concept. Managing workplace change successfully should therefore merely focus on managing the working behaviour of the people involved, instead of managing the building and interior design or the technology in it. Internal communication was identified as a pivotal tool to reach this success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare performance measurement systems from the literature with current performance measurement approaches in practice to get a better understanding of the complex relationships between workplace change, added value and organisational performance. To be able to measure the added value of workplace change, a valid and reliable performance measurement system is needed to measure the impact of the work environment on organisational performance before and after the change. A second aim is to have a closer look at the appraisal of workplace change by the end users. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature traced various performance measurement systems with different performance areas and key performance indicators (KPIs). Three case studies were conducted, two in Thailand, and one in The Netherlands, to explore if and how these theoretical insights are applied in current practice. Due to the worldwide introduction of New Ways of Working, special attention is paid to employee satisfaction and perceived productivity support. Findings – Many performance criteria and KPIs from literature are used in practice. However, apart from the balanced scorecard, no performance measurement system from literature is literally applied. Regarding most issues, none of the organisations conducted a comparison of the impact of their real estate on organisational performance before and after the change. In one case only, both ex ante and ex post data were collected about the appraisal of change by the end users. Research limitations/implications – The number of cases is limited. Additional case studies in depth are needed to get a wider picture of practice. Besides, still much work has to be done to operationalise the performance criteria. Practical implications – The performance measurement systems that were found in theory and practice can be used as input to value adding management of facilities. Based on the findings, a step-by-step procedure is presented to facilitate the selection of prioritised KPIs. Originality/value – This research connects the concepts of performance measurement and adding value by workplace change with data from two different continents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision and enactment of continuous learning has become a defining aspect of contemporary work and occupational development. This is because, particularly in countries with advanced industrial economies, the requirements for being and remaining competent at work are constantly changing due to factors such as globalisation, new technologies and organisational restructuring. There is also a trend towards individuals having longer working lives, as ageing populations mean mature-age workers stay longer in the workforce. As a result, workers are continually responding to changing circumstances to sustain their employability across extended working lives. Much of that response comes through learning and training undertaken in quite different ways from the approaches used in entry level preparation for employment. Consequently, lifelong learning and continuing education are becoming an increasingly important phenomenon in these countries, yet require distinct educational provisions. Hence, we need to know more about how it can be effectively organised and enacted. Within this context, this paper discusses the findings of interviews with Australian workers in two industries: transport and logistics, and health and community services, about their learning experiences and preferences in sustaining their employability. The paper argues that these employees' work and learning experiences are consistently reported in those interviews as comprising the effective means of continuing work-related learning and training that supports and sustains their employability through the workplace changes and demands they encounter and, hence, across their working lives. Further, the paper considers some of the implications arising from these accounts and suggests that the learning practices and expectations identified establish strong premises for developing integrative models of learning and training provision that are more suited to workers and workplaces in these changing times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The workplaces in America (and in many other countries, especially in the Western world) have experienced significant changes in the last few decades. Many values are perceived as changing, and there has been a rearranging of many manufacturing trends that have further affected workers, communities and regions. This article brings two theses before us. First, there is the role of the chaplain in the workplace. This is not a new concept, but it is new to many now struggling to keep their workplaces intact. Second, we have the importance of workplace leadership in taking seriously the bereavement needs in their organization and how the workplace chaplain can assist in that urgent need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates caring attributes and perceptions of work place change among qualified and unqualified nursing staff working with older people in three countries. A Modified Caring Attributes Questionnaire and Perception of Workplace Change Schedule were administered to 737 staff. Caring attributes scores were highest for nurses working in long stay settings, and lowest in nurses aged 25–29 years. Nurses in Hong Kong appear better educated than UK counterparts. Staff development seemed more common in long stay settings. Results suggest workplace changes limiting care quality were more pronounced in Scotland. Reported job satisfaction and moral were lowest in the UK group. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper relies on subjective data obtained from a survey of managers with primary responsibility for human resource management in 141 Canadian firms reporting a workplace reform programme. It explores the beliefs of respondents as to the objectives and outcomes of workplace reform programmes, and the extent to which these vary in accordance with the specific reforms adopted. It finds that, although a sizeable minority of respondents admit that the objectives and/or outcomes of reform programmes involve some deskilling or union avoidance, the primary objectives and outcomes which managers associate with these programmes have to do with improved flexibility, customer relations, quality and worker attitudes. It also finds that JIT and quality management appear to be consistent with a ‘control’ approach, while re-engineering appears to be consistent with a ‘commitment’ approach, that socio-technical reforms are of major importance to the perceived success of a workplace reform programme, and that neither ‘off-line’ participative reforms nor compensation reforms make much difference in the perceived success of these programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]