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A Study of the Impact that Enforced Remote Working has on the Mental and Physical Well-Being of Employees as a Result of Covid-19 Lockdown: A Case Study of Sales Employees within the IT Sector in Ireland.
No full textIn this dissertation I studied the impact which enforced remote working as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown had on the physical and mental well-being of employees, specifically focusing on individuals employed as IT sales executives in the Republic of Ireland. It was shown that after a few initial adjustments, physical well-being mostly improved and positive mental well-being was displayed towards remote working. The research strategy and methodology for this study followed a qualitative mono-method approach which gathered empirical data through the use of semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. The qualitative data gathered via the interview process was then analysed and coded using a form of template analysis to identify key themes pertinent to the study. The participants felt that their physical well-being had improved as a result of devising new ways to manage physical health and using time typically spent commuting for physical activities. Increased flexibility and reduced commute times resulted in a positive mental outlook and reduced stress in many cases. Adverse impacts were found on well-being due to lack of human interaction and on hand support. Differentiating factors between participants included age, living status and dependents. This paper does not attempt to draw theory from the data, but provide insights into the diverse factors affecting enforced remote workers well-being
An Exploratory Analysis of the Characteristics and Prerequisites of an Appropriate Business Partner in the Early Stage of Start-up Business.
No full textThis study shows the overall selection criteria which need to be considered while selecting a co-founder and founding team member in the early stage of a start-up business which includes characteristics and prerequisites. Most of the start-up business fails due to conflict and miscommunication among co-founder's caused by inappropriate selection at the founding stage of the start-up business which can be recovered by educating the start-up entrepreneurs with the help of Elite Co-founder theory. This research will propose the Elite Co-founder’s theory for Entrepreneurial academic purpose and Elite co-founder model for real-world start-up co-founder selection process. Based on both academic and business demand for co-founder problems in a start-up, this Elite Co-founder model was created with three brain systems of intuition are head, brain, heart (Soosalu et al., 2019). Co-founder conflicts are the main reason behind every aspect of start-up business failure backed by miscommunication and assumptions based on situations. ‘’With the long hours it takes to get a start-up off the ground, you’ll spend more time with your co-founder than your spouse’’ (Bornstein, 2017). The constructivist grounded theory of Elite Co-founder is designed and developed to support the Elite Co-founder model and it's is a one-page template contains all the essential and critical characteristics and prerequisites required for the co-founder candidate for a start-up (Alvarez et al., 2010). Overall, the eligibility check consists of evaluation methodology between a founder and co-founder profile to check the similarity rate / complementary rate. If the co-founder candidate scores above 52% in similarity rate / complementary rate, then they would be preferred candidates with optimum eligibility to work in a start-up business as a co-founder, interviewed, and graded by the founder of that start-up with the help of Elite Co-founder model. The results achieved by doing the co-founder evaluation test, is fully up to the founder intuition, knowledge, belief, skills, character, thoughts, requirements, and expectations (Pérez and Canino, n.d.)
Learning in Later Life: A Study of the Experience of Older Adults Engaged in Non-Formal Learning within the Community.
No full textAs the world experiences a growing older population this research study explores the participation of older adults in lifelong learning within their community, their motivation for engaging with education, the challenges they face while learning as they age and the benefits derived from learning in a local environment, both at a personal and societal level. Using a qualitative research methodology, a group of older learners was interviewed to establish their views on these issues and to ascertain what is important to them in the learning environment. The study found older learners to be active and engaged citizens who do not regard age as a barrier to learning and view this life stage as one of growth and opportunity; learners want an informal, social learning environment - their relationship with both the tutor and their peers is of key importance; early school experience can have a profound effect on learners and must be considered by adult educators. A key finding was the lack of visibility of this age group, who are no longer in the workforce, in educational policy and planning, with an absence of hard data both at national and European level
Perception of Work-life Balance and the Effects on Job Satisfaction and Productivity Among Filipino CPAs.
No full textCommuting is a significant part of one’s everyday working life, yet little research has accounted for its influence on work-life balance and its impact on important job outcomes among professional accountants. Extending the ‘Beyond the Role Stress’ model specifically developed for the accounting literature which show mediating role of job burnout on the relationship between role stressors and job outcomes, this study will examine the influence of commuting stress, direct and indirect as mediated by burnout (the key measure used for work-life balance) on job satisfaction, productivity and support for adoption of AWAs in the context of professional accountants in public practice based in Metro Manila. A non-probability, non-random sampling of 409 professional accountants in public accounting based in Metro Manila were surveyed. Using correlation analysis and regression-based mediation analysis, key findings of this study are as follows: (1) burnout fully mediated the negative relationship between commuting stress and job satisfaction but no evidence of mediation on productivity and support for adoption of AWAs were found; (2) burnout is negatively related with Job satisfaction and productivity; (3) burnout and job satisfaction is significantly higher among Big 4 professionals while job burnout is significantly higher among associates and those professionals in audit and assurance; and (4) Level of support for adoption in AWAs is found to be equal among professionals regardless of firm size, rank and service lines. The results indicate that commuting stress does have an impact on work-life balance and important job outcomes through job burnout. Results of this study highlights issues on management of human resources and have important implications for the development and implementation of policies to improve work-life balance. Summary of recommendations to improve work-life balance are solicited from professional accountants and presented later in this study
Assessment of Work-life Balance on Organisational Performance: Evidence from Nursing Mothers in Nigeria.
No full textThe objective of this study was to investigate the impact of work-life balance on organisational performance drawing evidence from nursing mothers in Nigeria. Work-life balance involves the ability of an employee to manage both work and personal life responsibilities without one being in conflict with the other. Work-life balance is essential as it increases job satisfaction, enhances employee productivity and reduces employee turnover. The study thus attempted to investigate how work-life balance has been able to enhance the productivity of nursing mothers. The study adopted the qualitative research methodology, which collected data through the use of interviews, interviews were conducted with seven (7) nursing mothers across different organisations in Nigeria. Interviews were analysed using the thematic process which groups findings under a particular theme. Findings of the study revealed that the ability to manage work and life responsibilities were essential to organisational performance, as without a positive work-life balance an employee becomes dissatisfied, unproductive and inefficient. The research also discovered that stress and pressures were significantly minimised through good work-life balance, this enhances the mental capabilities of employees thereby increasing their productivity and subsequently leading to better achievement of organisational goals. Therefore, the research recommends that management of organisations put in place policies such as work-leaves, flexible working hours, working from home, work breaks etc to enable nursing mothers achieve better work-life balance
An Explanatory Analysis of the Possible Solutions to the Shortage of Skilled Professionals in the Hospitality and Gastronomy Industry.
No full textThe shortage of skilled professionals is one of the biggest challenges facing the hotel and gastronomy industry today. It is becoming increasingly difficult for companies in the industry to recruit suitably skilled professionals (DEHOGA, 2019). At the same time, the industry is showing a general growth. 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals were recorded in 2018, the number of international tourist arrivals in Europe in 2018 was 713 million with an increase of 6% compared to 2017(UNWTO, 2019). The topic of this dissertation is the shortage of skilled professionals in the hotel and gastronomy industry. In particular, the reasons for the shortage of skilled professionals and the potential solutions are discussed. The work aims to present a clear understanding of the hotel and gastronomy industry concerning the causes of the shortage of skilled professionals, to present a series of practical solutions to counteract the shortage of skilled professionals, to evaluate the practical solution approaches and to make recommendations to the industry. In order to achieve these objectives and to give structure to the research, the following two research questions have been proposed: 1. How can the problem of the acute shortage of skilled professionals in the hotel and gastronomy industry be evaluated and what are possible reasons? 2. What concrete solution approaches do exist to effectively address the current shortage of skilled professionals in the hotel and gastronomy industry and how can they be deepened and put into practice? Twelve semi-structured interviews have been conducted as part of the primary data research. The entire research process, as well as the data analysis, use individual elements of the Grounded Theory. The interview was conducted with industry experts from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy from different departments and levels of hierarchy. This research contributes to the existing literature by proposing possible solution approaches, which can be useful for the industry itself as well as for further research
Assessing the Impact of Dividend Policy on Investor Decisions in the Nigerian Banking Sector.
No full textThis study set out to examine the impact of dividend policy on investors’ decision-making, with evidence from the Nigerian banking sector. This research sought to evaluate the dividend policy strategy adopted by the banking sub-sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, in relation to the dividend preferences of the investors of major commercial banks within the Nigerian economy. In other to achieve the research objectives, recourse was had to the application of established dividend literature and theories on the Nigerian market or banking sector. Evidence was based on the primary data obtained through the use of semi-structured interviews with participants recruited from the executive members of the Nigerian Investment Forum (NIF). Input from expert body was supplemented with the use survey questionnaire on non-executive member of aforementioned body. Response data from both sources was thereafter subjected to rigorous analysis using the mixed method or approach. Thematic analysis was applied to interpret data from interview conducted and descriptive statistics used for survey data. It was found that banking sector management in Nigeria strategically and adequately utilize payout policies that majorly reflect investor’s preferences by ensuring steady profitability level and valuable, consistent payouts and the right mix of payout-reinvestment options. It was also observed that banks and investors are helped by the much-needed confidence in the sector made possible by adequate regulatory effort and reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria and other bodies
Why Practising Effective Journalism in Nigeria Is Challenging
No full textJournalism does not simply entail providing information. For the function of journalism to be achieved, a journalist must provide the public with objective, useful information that can be used to make decisions. It is only after this happens that journalism is effective or has gotten the desired result. However, some challenges make it difficult for many journalists to practise effective journalism in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that make it difficult to practise effective journalism in Nigeria and identify how these factors can be mitigated. This study is based on an interpretivist research paradigm. A qualitative research approach was adopted because this study required nuanced and detailed data to answer the research questions. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the five participants who were chosen using purposive sampling. The participants were chosen because they have considerable experience working as journalists in Nigeria. The findings of the study are similar to the findings gotten from the literature review but are more complex and offer a different perspective. The findings show that inadequate remuneration and funding, brown-envelope journalism, censorship and lack of technological devices are common factors that may affect the ability of a journalist to practise effective journalism in Nigeria. Furthermore, while these factors are common, journalists who are just starting their career are likely to experience these. Lastly, improving the remuneration and allowances of journalists can help to reduce three of the four factors listed. However, the relationship between gender discrimination and effective journalism requires further research to ascertain if gender discrimination impedes effective journalism
The Impact of a Change in Brand Identity on Consumer Purchase Behavior and Loyalty.
No full texthis study was designed to explore the impact of change in brand identity on consumer purchase decision and loyalty. The motivation of this research was owing to the lack of in-depth understanding of the impact change in brand identity may have on consumer decision and loyalty. The research objectives of this study were formulated to provide detailed understanding on the impact of change in brand identity on consumer purchase decision and loyalty. A qualitative, explanatory research method was adopted using a case study research strategy. The mono-method data collection was adopted in the study, which allowed for only one data collection instrument. Semi-structured interview was the research instrument adopted to collect data for the study. Data was collected from ten participants whom were consumers of eight brands and were interviewed. The findings of this study show that consumers perceive change in brand identity to be a decoy for brands to reduce the brand quality. Also, it was shown that change in brand identity may hurt or help a brand. Moreover, it was revealed in the study that when product quality remains the same, change in brand identity do not affect the consumer loyalty. It revealed in the study that frequent change in brand identity can affect consumer purchase decision. It was also found that consumers believe that consistency of brand over a period of time connotes strength of the brand. The study also revealed that brand name does not have significant impact on brand as it seems, as element such as color pose a greater impact on consumer perception of a brand. It is recommended that brand popularity should always be considered when a brand want to embark on change in brand identity as brand with cheap quality may struggle to survive when there is a change in brand identity, change in brand identity may hurt or help the brand, consumer, brands should also consider market culture in their industries before carrying out change in brand identity, and brands should be consistent with their identity as that may give them brand strength
Impact on Cloud Based Application in Transformation Supply Chain Management: A Case Analysis on Cloud Supply Chain Software.
No full textThe research mainly aims to study the Impact of cloud-based application in transforming supply chain management (SCM). It has become the interesting aspect among all the organisations, especially in the retail sector. With internet and technology accessibility on the rise, companies across the globe have adopted cloud-based software for understanding the influence of disruptions in the activities of supply chain. The adoption of cloud computing within the premises of supply chain is included the advanced features in the business activities like error-free tracking and managing the inventory. Through this, the companies reduce the overall costs of business and increasing the business turnover. The research design for doing this research incorporated with the qualitative research where the primary data is collected in effective manner. Further, Six executives were selected to conduct the interview process in effective manner. The semi-structured interview is used to acquire the complete insight into this topic, as they came from different firms. As concerning the outcomes, the findings indicate that cloud computing is considered as the vital aspect in supply chain management, and the executives agreed that cloud-based application is the best-suited tool for their companies. It is recommended that the organisations have employed the essential steps to mitigate the issue regarding data security in cloud computing