an article by Mats Ekström and Malin Sveningsson (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) published in Information, Communication & Society Volume 22 Issue 2 (2019)
Abstract
In contemporary democracies, citizens’ political memberships are undergoing significant changes. Particularly young people are described as being less interested in long-term commitments in conventional political collectives, instead preferring to engage in cause-oriented activism in loosely organised groups, often sustained by online media.
However, behind these general trends, there is a diversity of collective activities, where people are typically part of several ones.
The shifting forms of memberships have rarely been investigated as such from the perspective of young citizens.
Using a qualitative multi-method approach, this article investigates how young people with an interest in civic and political issues experience and reflect upon their involvements in various collectives.
The analysis focuses on two aspects: the explorations that characterise the participants’ political memberships, and the meanings and motives of joining political collectives.
On the whole, the participants’ involvement can be described as shifting and tentative. This can be related to the idea of adolescence as a formative period of life, where explorations of memberships constitute important processes in young people’s development of values, beliefs and identities.
As for meanings and motives, three themes were found to be central: perceived efficacy, self-identity and peer relationships.
The study suggests that political membership is multidimensional and usefully analysed as a process rather than a dichotomous category. As such, it involves explorations and changes over time. The study highlights the reflexive dimensions of membership, where affiliations to collectives is something that youth try out, work on, account for and reconsider in relation to their self-identities.
Showing posts with label commitment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commitment. Show all posts
Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Monday, 16 January 2017
Infrastructure: why it is under provided and badly managed
an article by Dieter Helm (New College, Oxford, UK) and Colin Mayer (Saïd Business School, Oxford, UK)
published in
Oxford Review of Economic Policy Volume 32 Number 3 (2016
Abstract
The paper records the substantial deficiencies that exist in the design and implementation of infrastructure programmes around the world. It points to three sources of failure.
The first is a failure to recognize the systems nature of infrastructure and the implication of this for the appropriate tools of analysis that should be employed in infrastructure assessments.
The second is a preoccupation with income and expenditure flows rather than balance sheets in reporting public- as well as private-sector infrastructure accounts. This has had profound and in many cases perverse implications for the ownership, funding, and operation of infrastructure.
The third is inadequate governance of infrastructure programmes to overcome the significant commitment problems that afflict both private- and public-sector providers of infrastructure.
The paper describes a set of responses that recognize the systems nature of infrastructure, the importance of balance sheets, and the need for commitment mechanisms in the private and public sectors to promote the efficient provision of infrastructure.
JEL classification: H54
Abstract
The paper records the substantial deficiencies that exist in the design and implementation of infrastructure programmes around the world. It points to three sources of failure.
The first is a failure to recognize the systems nature of infrastructure and the implication of this for the appropriate tools of analysis that should be employed in infrastructure assessments.
The second is a preoccupation with income and expenditure flows rather than balance sheets in reporting public- as well as private-sector infrastructure accounts. This has had profound and in many cases perverse implications for the ownership, funding, and operation of infrastructure.
The third is inadequate governance of infrastructure programmes to overcome the significant commitment problems that afflict both private- and public-sector providers of infrastructure.
The paper describes a set of responses that recognize the systems nature of infrastructure, the importance of balance sheets, and the need for commitment mechanisms in the private and public sectors to promote the efficient provision of infrastructure.
JEL classification: H54
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Linking Affective Commitment, Career Self-Efficacy, and Outcome Expectations A Test of Social Cognitive Career Theory
an article by Amanda M. Conklin, Jason J. Dahling and Pablo A. Garcia (The College of New Jersey, Ewing, USA) published in Journal of Career Development
Volume 40 Number 1 (February 2013)
Abstract
The authors tested a model based on the satisfaction model of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) that links college students’ affective commitment to their major (the emotional identification that students feel toward their area of study) with career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) and career outcome expectations.
Results indicate that CDSE mediates the relationship between affective commitment to the major and career outcome expectations, specifically expected career performance and satisfaction.
Further, students’ perception of abilities–demands fit with their major interacts with affective commitment to moderate these direct and indirect effects.
The authors discuss these findings in light of SCCT and develop recommendations for career counsellors and academic advisers based on their results.
Abstract
The authors tested a model based on the satisfaction model of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) that links college students’ affective commitment to their major (the emotional identification that students feel toward their area of study) with career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) and career outcome expectations.
Results indicate that CDSE mediates the relationship between affective commitment to the major and career outcome expectations, specifically expected career performance and satisfaction.
Further, students’ perception of abilities–demands fit with their major interacts with affective commitment to moderate these direct and indirect effects.
The authors discuss these findings in light of SCCT and develop recommendations for career counsellors and academic advisers based on their results.
Friday, 8 February 2013
The Impact of High-Performance Human Resource Practices on Employees’ Attitudes and Behaviors
an article by Rebecca R. Kehoe and Patrick M. Wright (Cornell University) published in Journal of Management Volume 39 Number 2 (February 2013)
Abstract
Although strategic human resource (HR) management research has established a significant relationship between high-performance HR practices and firm-level financial and market outcomes, few studies have considered the important role of employees’ perceptions of HR practice use or examined the more proximal outcomes of high-performance HR practices that may play mediating roles in the HR practice–performance relationship.
To address recent calls in the literature for an investigation of this nature, this study examined the relationships between employees’ perceptions of high-performance HR practice use in their job groups and employee absenteeism, intent to remain with the organisation, and organisational citizenship behaviour, dedicating a focus to the possible mediating role of affective organisational commitment in these relationships.
Data in this study were collected from surveys of employees at a large multiunit food service organization. The model was tested with CWC(M) mediation analysis (i.e. centred within context with reintroduction of the subtracted means at Level 2), which accounted for the multilevel structure of the data.
Results indicate that employees’ perceptions of high-performance HR practice use at the job group level positively related to all dependent variables and that affective organisational commitment partially mediated the relationship between HR practice perceptions and organisational citizenship behaviour and fully mediated the relationship between HR practice perceptions and intent to remain with the organisation.
The discussion reviews the implications of these results and suggests future directions for research in this vein.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
The Impact of ‘Achievement for All’ on School Leadership
an article by Sonia Blandford (Founder and Chief Executive of Achievement for All, Visiting Professor at the Institute of Education and Senior Research Fellow University of Oxford) published in Educational Management, Administration & Leadership Volume 41 Number 1 (January 2013)
The Achievement for All (AfA) pilot initiative, delivered in partnership by the Department for Education (DfE), (formerly the Department for Children, Schools and Families [DCSF]), National Strategies and the National College (NCSL), aims to increase the attainment and progress of children in schools with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); improve the engagement of their parents with the school and improve wider outcomes for this group of children.
Introduced in September 2009 as a two-year pilot in 454 primary, secondary and special schools and Pupil Referral Units across 10 Local Authorities in England, AfA, with a particular focus on inclusive leadership practice, takes a whole school approach to school improvement.
The population included pupils in Years 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 identified with SEND on School Action, School Action Plus or holding Statements; 85 per cent of the participating schools are primary. Guided by government documentation (DCSF, 2009a) and local authority advisers, schools have implemented the initiative around three distinct but integrated strands: assessment, tracking and interventions; structured conversations with parents and provision for developing wider outcomes.
By considering focus group data evidence from headteachers/school project leaders across the participating local authorities, this article will explore the impact of AfA on inclusive leadership practices in schools. Findings suggest that although vision, commitment, collaboration and communication remain self evident for the majority of leaders, within the context of AfA, these characteristics of effective inclusive leadership along with pupil learning have been enhanced.
Monday, 17 December 2012
Labour flexibility in SMEs: the impact of leadership
an article by Jos Mesu (Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands), Maarten Van Riemsdijk (University of Twente, Enschede and Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands), Karin Sanders (University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands) published in Employee Relations Volume 35 Issue 2 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership, and labour flexibility within small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using a sample comprising 755 employees, rating 121 supervisors within 50 Dutch small and medium-sized companies, the authors examined the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership on the one hand, and temporal and functional flexibility on the other. Further, to test whether the expected associations could be perceived as a social exchange between supervisor and employees, this study investigated the mediating role of affective organisational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
Because data were nested, the authors used multilevel analysis for hypothesis testing.
Findings
Both dimensions of transformational leadership, visionary leadership and coaching, were positively related to temporal flexibility; also two dimensions of transactional leadership, contingent reward and active management by exception, were also positively associated with temporal flexibility. All of these associations were mediated by affective organisational commitment, indicating social exchange relationships. As opposed to expectations, passive management by exception, representing poor transactional leadership, was positively related to temporal and functional flexibility. Affective commitment did not mediate these relationships.
Practical implications
SMEs are therefore advised to improve visionary leadership, coaching skills, contingent reward, and active management by exception.
Originality/value
The paper shows that, remarkably, labour flexibility can be increased by both effective and poor leadership. On the one hand, effective leadership seems to promote temporal flexibility by creating employees’ commitment to the organisation. Poor leadership, on the other hand, does not call for people’s affective commitment and thus seems to be forcing employees into demonstrating flexible behaviours, as a way of compensating for bad management.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership, and labour flexibility within small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using a sample comprising 755 employees, rating 121 supervisors within 50 Dutch small and medium-sized companies, the authors examined the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership on the one hand, and temporal and functional flexibility on the other. Further, to test whether the expected associations could be perceived as a social exchange between supervisor and employees, this study investigated the mediating role of affective organisational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
Because data were nested, the authors used multilevel analysis for hypothesis testing.
Findings
Both dimensions of transformational leadership, visionary leadership and coaching, were positively related to temporal flexibility; also two dimensions of transactional leadership, contingent reward and active management by exception, were also positively associated with temporal flexibility. All of these associations were mediated by affective organisational commitment, indicating social exchange relationships. As opposed to expectations, passive management by exception, representing poor transactional leadership, was positively related to temporal and functional flexibility. Affective commitment did not mediate these relationships.
Practical implications
SMEs are therefore advised to improve visionary leadership, coaching skills, contingent reward, and active management by exception.
Originality/value
The paper shows that, remarkably, labour flexibility can be increased by both effective and poor leadership. On the one hand, effective leadership seems to promote temporal flexibility by creating employees’ commitment to the organisation. Poor leadership, on the other hand, does not call for people’s affective commitment and thus seems to be forcing employees into demonstrating flexible behaviours, as a way of compensating for bad management.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Older employees under pressure? Theorizing reasons for declining commitment
an article by Michael White (University of Westminster) published in Work, Employment & Society Volume 26 Number 3 (June 2012)
Abstract
If employees are asked to extend their working lives, equity requires that their conditions of work should be improved or at least maintained.
This article argues that employees have in the past received relatively favourable treatment from employers in their later careers, consequent on the long-term employment relationship that employers maintain for motivational purposes. But changes in costs, competition and technologies are likely to have affected motivational policy, leading employers to renege on the implicit bargain with older employees.
The analysis provides strong evidence of declining organizational commitment, consistent with the proposed theory.
Abstract
If employees are asked to extend their working lives, equity requires that their conditions of work should be improved or at least maintained.
This article argues that employees have in the past received relatively favourable treatment from employers in their later careers, consequent on the long-term employment relationship that employers maintain for motivational purposes. But changes in costs, competition and technologies are likely to have affected motivational policy, leading employers to renege on the implicit bargain with older employees.
The analysis provides strong evidence of declining organizational commitment, consistent with the proposed theory.
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