European Journal of Training and Development最新文献

Purpose

While founder characteristics have been studied extensively as a factor in attracting employees, organizational attributes of startups have received little attention. To fill the void, this study aims to examine organizational attributes of startups to attract employees.

Design/methodology/approach

This research collected 8,817 online employer reviews of 117 startups from Glassdoor.com. This research conducted two studies. In Study 1, a topic modeling approach was applied to identify startup attributes to attract employees having actual employer experience and to examine the importance and relationship of the attributes, drawing the person–organization fit theory. Study 2 used logistic regression analysis to explore the effect of identified attributes on employer attractiveness based on the signaling theory.

Findings

Study 1 found six attributes: high-quality coworkers, entrepreneurial culture, development, company outlook, physical office and stereotypical startup perks. This study also found high-quality coworkers, entrepreneurial culture and development are not only related to each other but also more critical attributes than other attributes. The core value of the three attributes can be conceptualized as “learning opportunity.” Study 2 found that employees attracted to “learning opportunity” are more likely to recommend their employers than instrumental attributes, including physical office and stereotypical startup perks.

Originality/value

This research elaborates on employer attributes to attract employees in the context of startup based on the real voices of employees having actual employer experience. Furthermore, this research extends the understanding of employer attributes contributing to employer attractiveness by combining qualitative review data with quantitative rating data.

Purpose

This study aims to examine the mediating role of trainer preparation in the effect employee trainer self-efficacy has on trainer performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a census, data was collected from internal employee trainers in two universities in Ghana. In testing the hypotheses, a structural equation modelling based on 10,000 bootstrap samples was used, and the BCa confidence intervals were used to establish the significance of the hypotheses.

Findings

This study revealed trainer preparation as a complementary partial mediator in the effect trainee engagement self-efficacy and instruction self-efficacy had on trainer performance. In addition, the importance–performance map analyses demonstrated that the factor with the most importance in the model was instruction self-efficacy, yet it was not the highest-performing factor.

Originality/value

This study highlights the mediating role played by preparation in the effect of trainer self-efficacy on trainer performance. In addition, it adds to the dearth of studies that focus on employee trainers while at the same time using data from the trainers themselves.

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of virtual training in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing workforce inequalities. It analyzes both the advantages and challenges of integrating virtual training within sustainable development frameworks and the circular economy, underlining its crucial role in transforming workforce strategies and enhancing economic and social progress.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses Becker’s human capital theory (1964) and Bandura’s social learning theory (1977) to explore the impact of virtual training on human capital development and its contributions to specific SDGs. This integrated approach provides a detailed exploration of how virtual training intersects with sustainable development initiatives.

Findings

The findings highlight the pivotal role of technology in training and development, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape. Virtual training significantly enhances global collaboration, inclusivity and sustainability. It highlights the necessity of adapting corporate training practices to digital environments, thereby improving the quality of education, advancing gender equality and stimulating economic growth.

Originality/value

This paper presents unique perspectives on the influence of workplace training in the post-pandemic era, focusing on technological integration. It discusses how such integration supports diversity, equity and inclusion within the workforce and highlights the essential role of virtual training in promoting organizational flexibility and enhancing employee skills amidst ongoing digital transformations.

Purpose

Education-based discrimination has not received sufficient attention within the field of human resource development (HRD), which can provide practical interventions to help solve the hardships of high school graduate employees (HSGEs). This paper aims to bring this issue to the forefront by framing the current marginalization of South Korean HSGEs as an individual-level issue that has repercussions to early career development, and also as an organizational-level issue that has implications on workplace learning and development.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used an integrative literature review method by analyzing studies that have focused on the challenges faced by HSGEs. The objective was to identify patterns of their experiences and call attention to strategies they utilize to cope with the marginality they face in the workforce. The Korea Citation Index (KCI), a database that manages Korean domestic journals, was used. In total, 187 articles were found, and 15 articles succinctly matched the research criteria.

Findings

HSGEs struggled with employment unreadiness and faced discrimination based on their academic background, young age and low-rank position within organizations. In turn, they were vulnerable to poor working conditions (e.g., high work intensity, long working hours, etc.). These challenges led HSGEs to pursue a college degree and/or engage in workplace learning.

Originality/value

The use of critical human resource development (CHRD) has typically been limited within a South Korean context. We deliberately applied a critical perspective to raise awareness about how contemporary forms of marginality have gone unchecked, specifically by interrogating the exclusion and disempowerment experienced by HSGEs.

Purpose

This study aims to delve into the mechanisms through which managers can enhance employee participation effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework to identify the interrelationships among various drivers. Different levels of Continuous Improvement (CI) maturity were also considered to assess the effectiveness of these drivers on employee participation. An in-depth case study was conducted, involving the selection of four business units from a multinational manufacturer in Germany to represent varying levels of CI maturity.

Findings

This study uncovered intermediary variables that mediate the impact of drivers on the high-level MOA variables. It also revealed how the effectiveness of these drivers varies across different levels of CI maturity.

Originality/value

While different facets of CI have been scrutinized, the importance of employee participation stands out as pivotal for achieving enduring and meaningful progress. Despite this recognition, many business organizations continue to grasp with the challenge of motivating their employees to actively engage in CI initiatives. This study extends the applicability of the MOA framework and enriches the CI literature by offering deeper insights into the behavioural perspectives of employees. In practical terms, the findings of this study provide valuable guidance to decision-makers and HR department on staff training and development, enabling them to formulate more effective strategies aimed at fostering and augmenting employee participation in CI endeavours.

Purpose

Given that knowledge hiding hampers the management of employee knowledge, it is important to measure the phenomena before applying the intervention to alleviate it. This paper aims to validate knowledge hiding measurements in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

The research collected 420 and 415 different Korean employee samples for each study, and they responded to their quality of knowledge hiding. The research conducted factor analysis using Mplus software and the Rasch model using JMetrik software based on the item response theory.

Findings

The research validated Korean versions of knowledge hiding measurements consisting of three factors and ten items. The study also found that knowledge hiding has a negative relationship with knowledge sharing and an unexpectedly positive relationship with team creativity. The study confirmed that the modified measurement yields acceptable discriminant and convergent validity.

Research limitations/implications

The research relied on self-reported data and may have an issue measuring their knowledge hiding generously. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to measure it from others, including supervisors and colleagues. This research has theoretical implications for psychometrically and systematically validating the measurement.

Practical implications

The research includes practical implications for contributing to Human resource development practitioners could assess employee traits accurately and manage their negative knowledge behavior.

Social implications

The research suggests the implications for detecting a positive relationship between knowledge hiding and team creativity. The study discussed that the specific climate could contribute to team creativity in Eastern contexts.

Originality/value

The research identified the importance of a psychometric validating process in the development of measurements.

Purpose

This study aims to analyze employer’s engagement to the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system among ASEAN member states by developing the analytical framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection has been made through collaboration between the research team and the ASEAN regional consultants recruited for the project by using the survey questionnaire. ASEAN member states are analyzed based on the framework, which includes the existence of meeting, the existence of law or regulation, the degree of influence of meeting to TVET and the degree of influence of the employers to TVET.

Findings

Employers’ engagement can play its significant role as part of monitoring the skills demand of labor market. If the country can build feedback mechanism which circulates skills supply and demand on behalf of individual sectors, it will help reduce the skills gap.

Originality/value

The pace of economic development is and has been more rapid among 10 ASEAN member states. To analyze employer’s engagement to the TVET system among ASEAN member states, developing the analytical framework is imperative. Not only is there insufficient labor market information for each country, but there is also a lack of information linking the labor market and TVET system.

Purpose

India is one of the fastest developing economies, but it faces numerous socioeconomic problems, such as hunger, poverty, under- and unemployment, gender inequity and illiteracy. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding at the corporate level could tackle these socioeconomic problems, providing support to the nation’s overall development. Mandated CSR expenditures, in alignment with the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, would support the nation’s contributions to building a sustainable future. Several questions, however, remain. Thus, this study aims to explore relationships between a company’s gross and net profits and its expenditures for CSR; and mapped the specific CSR activities used to address each of the 17 UN SDGs and then draw implications for human resource development (HRD).

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered from published annual reports (2019–23) of 60 Fortune 500 Indian companies. A zero-order correlation was used to find the relationship between CSR expenditure and gross, as well as net, profits. Furthermore, the CSR activities of the sample were mapped with the UN SDGs.

Findings

There was a positive, moderate to strong correlation between CSR expenditures and gross profit (r = 0.82, p < 0.01), but for net profit, the correlation was strong (r = 0.85, p < 0.01). All CSR activities mapped to at least one of the SDGs.

Originality/value

The alignment of CSR activities and SDGs based on Fortune 500 Indian companies has not yet been explored. Also, no study to date discusses the gaps in the CSR expenditures for specific UN SDGs.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of career resilience (CR) on Generation Z’s emotional intelligence (EI) and perceived career outcomes such as career satisfaction (CSAT), burnout and intention to leave a career. In its short organizational tenure, Gen Z has faced the adverse effects of global events affecting their views of career and, ultimately, CR.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey method was used to test the hypothesized relationship. A total sample of 160 respondents were assessed. Hypotheses in this study were tested by using Hayes’s (2018) PROCESS tool based on OLS regression and with a bootstrap method.

Findings

The most significant finding of this study concludes that although small, CR has a positive mediating indirect effect on Gen Z’s CSAT and burnout. However, contrary to past findings, we found a negative relationship between Gen Z’s EI and CR. Furthermore, although EI and CSAT have a positive relationship, CR and CSAT are negatively correlated. Meanwhile, Gen Z’s EI through CR positively affects Gen Z’s CSAT.

Research limitations/implications

The study has implications for how organizations can attract, retain and engage Gen Z.

Originality/value

Despite Gen Z being a part of the workforce for at least six years, limited empirical research on Gen Z has been published. Indeed, Gen Z’s workforce inexperience does not yield in-depth explanations of CR concepts; however, as we continue to learn more about Gen Z and their interactions with the work environment, the authors begin to get a peek into the future of the workforce.