The human, business and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented Here it is argued that basic probability theory, combined with simple scenario planning, can be of value in the management of business risk alongside human resources planning Specifically, we develop guidance on when to close and later reopen group-work office spaces based on the group size and estimated probability that one or more persons within a given group may have contracted the virus Examples are included from the live scenario planning exercise conducted by the authors in managing their own businesses
{"title":"A Parsimonious Risk Model to Assist Managers in Deciding When to Close and Reopen Business Premises Based on the Probability of Viral Infection","authors":"Stephen Duchesne, Kingsley Jones","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3595948","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3595948","url":null,"abstract":"The human, business and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented Here it is argued that basic probability theory, combined with simple scenario planning, can be of value in the management of business risk alongside human resources planning Specifically, we develop guidance on when to close and later reopen group-work office spaces based on the group size and estimated probability that one or more persons within a given group may have contracted the virus Examples are included from the live scenario planning exercise conducted by the authors in managing their own businesses","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"254 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123320122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we show that changes in working hours, not changes in wages, are the major driver of rising earnings inequalities in Germany since the early 1990s. Next, we analyze whether changes in working hours are in line with employee preferences by comparing mismatches between desired and actual hours. We find that underemployment among low-wage earners increased, pointing at involuntary part-time work as a source of earnings inequality. In addition, for females, the presence of children in the household is associated with underemployment. Simultaneously, the desire for a reduction of working hours is more pronounced at the upper part of the hourly wage distribution. A counterfactual earnings distribution based on desired working hours and actual hourly wages exhibits significantly less inequality than the actual earnings distribution.
{"title":"Earnings Inequality and Working Hours Mismatch","authors":"Mattis Beckmannshagen, Carsten Schroeder","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3584328","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3584328","url":null,"abstract":"Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we show that changes in working hours, not changes in wages, are the major driver of rising earnings inequalities in Germany since the early 1990s. Next, we analyze whether changes in working hours are in line with employee preferences by comparing mismatches between desired and actual hours. We find that underemployment among low-wage earners increased, pointing at involuntary part-time work as a source of earnings inequality. In addition, for females, the presence of children in the household is associated with underemployment. Simultaneously, the desire for a reduction of working hours is more pronounced at the upper part of the hourly wage distribution. A counterfactual earnings distribution based on desired working hours and actual hourly wages exhibits significantly less inequality than the actual earnings distribution.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121281865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This research is based on the lives of Oil and Gas field workers working in shifts and how the continuous shift-based job affects their lives. The procedure of proper shift management is very important for the welfare of the workforce and the overall impact on Oil and Gas industry will be more than others as the shifts for Oil and Gas workers is the same worldwide however to execute them in a proper manner is what makes the difference. This research will go through the shift procedures within one of the biggest oilfields, the North Sea Oil field and then look into the strategical shift related stress audit. This research will also look at the lives of field workers working in the Pasaki field located in the Sindh province of Pakistan and evaluate the impact of shifts.
{"title":"Shift Management in Oil and Gas Field Workers","authors":"Mohammad Hassaan Khan","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3567909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3567909","url":null,"abstract":"This research is based on the lives of Oil and Gas field workers working in shifts and how the continuous shift-based job affects their lives. The procedure of proper shift management is very important for the welfare of the workforce and the overall impact on Oil and Gas industry will be more than others as the shifts for Oil and Gas workers is the same worldwide however to execute them in a proper manner is what makes the difference. This research will go through the shift procedures within one of the biggest oilfields, the North Sea Oil field and then look into the strategical shift related stress audit. This research will also look at the lives of field workers working in the Pasaki field located in the Sindh province of Pakistan and evaluate the impact of shifts.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126776950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We formally model the impact of presidential policymaking on the willingness of bureaucrats to exert effort and stay in the government. In the model, centralized policy initiative by the president demotivates policy-oriented bureaucrats and can impel them to quit rather than implicate themselves in presidentially imposed policies they dislike. Those most likely to quit are a range of moderate bureaucrats. More extreme bureaucrats may be willing to wait out an incumbent president in the hope of shaping future policy. As control of the White House alternates between ideologically opposed extreme presidents, policy-minded moderates depart from bureaucratic agencies leaving only policy extremists or poorly performing "slackers." The consequences for policy making are substantial. Despite these adverse consequences, presidents have strong incentives to engage in centralized policymaking.
{"title":"Quitting in Protest: Presidential Policymaking and Civil Service Response","authors":"C. Cameron, J. de Figueiredo","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3563897","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3563897","url":null,"abstract":"We formally model the impact of presidential policymaking on the willingness of bureaucrats to exert effort and stay in the government. In the model, centralized policy initiative by the president demotivates policy-oriented bureaucrats and can impel them to quit rather than implicate themselves in presidentially imposed policies they dislike. Those most likely to quit are a range of moderate bureaucrats. More extreme bureaucrats may be willing to wait out an incumbent president in the hope of shaping future policy. As control of the White House alternates between ideologically opposed extreme presidents, policy-minded moderates depart from bureaucratic agencies leaving only policy extremists or poorly performing \"slackers.\" The consequences for policy making are substantial. Despite these adverse consequences, presidents have strong incentives to engage in centralized policymaking.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124013157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seraina C. Anagnostopoulou, Argyro Avgoustaki, Beatriz García Osma
We examine the effect of firm efforts to improve employee quality via human resource practices on investment efficiency. Employees at all levels of an organization, and executives, play a significant role for efficient corporate investment. Thus, human resource practices that improve employee quality should be associated with efficient corporate investment. However, the outcome of such practices can be controversial, as they are often ineffective, costly, have dis-synergies and deprive other types of investments of funding, which could lead to deviations from optimal investment. Using US firms for the period 2002-2016, our findings reveal that human resource practices are negatively associated with investment efficiency, inducing both over- and under-investment. Results are driven mainly by practices with a more direct cash cost, and are more pronounced with respect to investments in R&D and acquisitions. Overall, our findings are consistent with HR practices targeted at improving employee quality not aligning employees’ and shareholders’ interests, with consequences for investment efficiency.
{"title":"Firm Efforts to Improve Employee Quality and Corporate Investment Efficiency","authors":"Seraina C. Anagnostopoulou, Argyro Avgoustaki, Beatriz García Osma","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3563037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3563037","url":null,"abstract":"We examine the effect of firm efforts to improve employee quality via human resource practices on investment efficiency. Employees at all levels of an organization, and executives, play a significant role for efficient corporate investment. Thus, human resource practices that improve employee quality should be associated with efficient corporate investment. However, the outcome of such practices can be controversial, as they are often ineffective, costly, have dis-synergies and deprive other types of investments of funding, which could lead to deviations from optimal investment. Using US firms for the period 2002-2016, our findings reveal that human resource practices are negatively associated with investment efficiency, inducing both over- and under-investment. Results are driven mainly by practices with a more direct cash cost, and are more pronounced with respect to investments in R&D and acquisitions. Overall, our findings are consistent with HR practices targeted at improving employee quality not aligning employees’ and shareholders’ interests, with consequences for investment efficiency.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"255 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117092365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We examine whether, when, and to what extent the skilled labor required by firms affects managers’ income smoothing activities. Consistent with our hypothesis that managers smooth earnings to signal their diminished risk and improve long-term relationships with high-skill employees, we show that the level of labor skills required by firms is positively associated with managers’ income smoothing activities. We address endogeneity concerns by exploiting subsamples of firms with similar firms and industry characteristics and a quasi-experimental shock to labor markets led by Hurricane Katrina. The effect of labor skills on income smoothing is weaker for firms granting employee stock options and notably stronger for firms operating in competitive product markets. Finally, we document that future employment volatility decreases as a consequence of income smoothing, suggesting that managers’ income smoothing activities reduce the turnover of skilled employees and help to maintain their employment at a stable level.
{"title":"Labor Skill and Income Smoothing","authors":"Boochun Jung, Tae Wook Kim, Minyoung Noh, Y. Park","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3563926","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3563926","url":null,"abstract":"We examine whether, when, and to what extent the skilled labor required by firms affects managers’ income smoothing activities. Consistent with our hypothesis that managers smooth earnings to signal their diminished risk and improve long-term relationships with high-skill employees, we show that the level of labor skills required by firms is positively associated with managers’ income smoothing activities. We address endogeneity concerns by exploiting subsamples of firms with similar firms and industry characteristics and a quasi-experimental shock to labor markets led by Hurricane Katrina. The effect of labor skills on income smoothing is weaker for firms granting employee stock options and notably stronger for firms operating in competitive product markets. Finally, we document that future employment volatility decreases as a consequence of income smoothing, suggesting that managers’ income smoothing activities reduce the turnover of skilled employees and help to maintain their employment at a stable level.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126209903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Understanding a process is the key to maximizing the outcomes of such a process; teachers’ professional development (PD) can be further facilitated through fully apprehending the process by which they grow professionally and the factors that contribute to such growth. In this study, the author intends to explore the relationship between a school environment and teachers’ readiness for PD as well as how they perceive of the impact of PD on their professional and personal qualities, students’ performance, teachers’ career progression, and commitment to the job and workplace. The author administered semi-structured interviews with three English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers who are in their mid-career stage and work for private, American curriculum-based schools in Dubai. The results show that all three interviewees admit the positive influence of PD on their professional performance, personal qualities, students’ outcomes, career progression and commitment to the profession. How a progressive school culture would impact teachers’ inclination towards PD has also been brought to attention by the interviewees as a critical aspect. As potential areas of research on PD, it is recommended that students’ academic performance is to be looked into closely through examining their assessment results in order to muster tangible evidence on the significance of teachers’ PD. Also, a conversation analysis of classroom discourse following a number of classroom observations of teachers in different career stages would be another informative research method to investigate the impact of PD on teachers’ performance and on classroom dynamics.
{"title":"Investigating Teachers’ Perceptions of the Influence of Professional Development on Teachers’ Performance and Career Progression","authors":"Nesrin Tantawy","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3582306","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3582306","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding a process is the key to maximizing the outcomes of such a process; teachers’ professional development (PD) can be further facilitated through fully apprehending the process by which they grow professionally and the factors that contribute to such growth. In this study, the author intends to explore the relationship between a school environment and teachers’ readiness for PD as well as how they perceive of the impact of PD on their professional and personal qualities, students’ performance, teachers’ career progression, and commitment to the job and workplace. The author administered semi-structured interviews with three English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers who are in their mid-career stage and work for private, American curriculum-based schools in Dubai. The results show that all three interviewees admit the positive influence of PD on their professional performance, personal qualities, students’ outcomes, career progression and commitment to the profession. How a progressive school culture would impact teachers’ inclination towards PD has also been brought to attention by the interviewees as a critical aspect. As potential areas of research on PD, it is recommended that students’ academic performance is to be looked into closely through examining their assessment results in order to muster tangible evidence on the significance of teachers’ PD. Also, a conversation analysis of classroom discourse following a number of classroom observations of teachers in different career stages would be another informative research method to investigate the impact of PD on teachers’ performance and on classroom dynamics.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"34 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115242397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objective - Telecommunication companies need their people to engage in their activities to achieve organizational goals. So, employee engagement became a crucial aspect of a company that struggles to win the competition. Some literature shows that human resource practice affects employee engagement. The present study examines the impact of perceived organizational support as a mediator on the relationship. Methodology/Technique - Data were collected from a branch office of the biggest telecommunication company in Bandung during May 2019. The questionnaires were distributed through the human resources department for four weeks. We analyze 112 valid responses by using SPSS and Macro Process. Findings - By conducting regression with bootstrapping we found that perceived organizational support mediates the relationship between effective human resources practice and employee engagement. The result suggests that a telecommunication company should practice good human resources practice including proper recruitment, training & development, reward, career advancement, and employee relation so that the employees can perceive its support and increase their engagement. Novelty – This finding provides the implication that good management of human resources practice and perceived organizational support can increase employee engagement. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Employee Engagement, Human Resource Practice, Perceived Organizational Support. JEL Classification: M12, M19
{"title":"Effective Human Resources Practice and Employee Engagement: The Mediating Roles of Organizational Support","authors":"R. Saragih, A. Prasetio","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3551058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3551058","url":null,"abstract":"Objective - Telecommunication companies need their people to engage in their activities to achieve organizational goals. So, employee engagement became a crucial aspect of a company that struggles to win the competition. Some literature shows that human resource practice affects employee engagement. The present study examines the impact of perceived organizational support as a mediator on the relationship.\u0000\u0000Methodology/Technique - Data were collected from a branch office of the biggest telecommunication company in Bandung during May 2019. The questionnaires were distributed through the human resources department for four weeks. We analyze 112 valid responses by using SPSS and Macro Process.\u0000\u0000Findings - By conducting regression with bootstrapping we found that perceived organizational support mediates the relationship between effective human resources practice and employee engagement. The result suggests that a telecommunication company should practice good human resources practice including proper recruitment, training & development, reward, career advancement, and employee relation so that the employees can perceive its support and increase their engagement.\u0000\u0000Novelty – This finding provides the implication that good management of human resources practice and perceived organizational support can increase employee engagement.\u0000\u0000Type of Paper - Empirical\u0000\u0000Keywords: Employee Engagement, Human Resource Practice, Perceived Organizational Support.\u0000\u0000JEL Classification: M12, M19","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125456352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper evaluates the labor market effects of sick pay mandates in the United States. Using the National Compensation Survey and difference-in-differences models, we estimate their impact on coverage rates, sick leave use, labor costs, and non-mandated fringe benefits. Sick pay mandates increase coverage significantly by 13 percentage points from a baseline level of 66%. Newly covered employees take two additional sick days per year. We find little evidence that mandating sick pay crowds-out other non-mandated fringe benefits. We then develop a model of optimal sick pay provision along with a welfare analysis. Mandating sick pay likely increases welfare.
{"title":"Mandated Sick Pay: Coverage, Utilization, and Welfare Effects","authors":"C. MacLean, Stefan Pichler, Nicolas R. Ziebarth","doi":"10.3386/w26832","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3386/w26832","url":null,"abstract":"This paper evaluates the labor market effects of sick pay mandates in the United States. Using the National Compensation Survey and difference-in-differences models, we estimate their impact on coverage rates, sick leave use, labor costs, and non-mandated fringe benefits. Sick pay mandates increase coverage significantly by 13 percentage points from a baseline level of 66%. Newly covered employees take two additional sick days per year. We find little evidence that mandating sick pay crowds-out other non-mandated fringe benefits. We then develop a model of optimal sick pay provision along with a welfare analysis. Mandating sick pay likely increases welfare.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123075088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study examines the causes and consequences of incentive pay adoption among Chinese manufacturing firms. First, we find that a higher degree of labor scarcity encourages firms to adopt more incentive pay. Second, using an instrumental variables approach, we find that a 10 percentage point increase in the intensity of incentive pay results in 38% higher firm productivity. Third, the average productivity differences between SOEs and non-SOEs decrease by about 65% after controlling differences in incentive pay adoption. Therefore, facilitating incentive pay adoption among firms with better labor endowments (e.g. SOEs) increases productivity while reduces resource misallocation in developing countries.
{"title":"Incentive Pay and Firm Productivity: Evidence from China","authors":"Zhangfeng Jin, Shiyuan Pan","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3544466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3544466","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the causes and consequences of incentive pay adoption among Chinese manufacturing firms. First, we find that a higher degree of labor scarcity encourages firms to adopt more incentive pay. Second, using an instrumental variables approach, we find that a 10 percentage point increase in the intensity of incentive pay results in 38% higher firm productivity. Third, the average productivity differences between SOEs and non-SOEs decrease by about 65% after controlling differences in incentive pay adoption. Therefore, facilitating incentive pay adoption among firms with better labor endowments (e.g. SOEs) increases productivity while reduces resource misallocation in developing countries.","PeriodicalId":198334,"journal":{"name":"Labor: Personnel Economics eJournal","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129150701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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