Agent-Based Microsimulation Approach for Design and Evaluation of Flexible Work Schedules

2015 ◽  
Vol 2537 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zhu ◽  
Chenfeng Xiong ◽  
Xiqun Chen ◽  
Xiang He ◽  
Lei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Choice Model ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Individual Choice ◽  
Work Schedule ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Flexible Work Schedule ◽  
Departure Time ◽  
Flexible Work Schedules

The policy of a flexible work schedule has been practiced for years in order to stimulate the redistribution of departure time of commuters. However, its potential influence on travelers’ departure time shifts is infrequently seen in existing studies. This study extended an agent-based positive departure time choice model to gain perspective on travelers’ dynamic reaction toward the flexible work schedule policy. Unlike most rational behavior models, the positive model emphasizes the bounded rationality in people's actual behavior and allows for heterogeneity among travelers. Dynamic traffic assignment is integrated with this proposed model to build up a feedback loop between individual choice (demand side) and network performance (supply side). Scenarios of different percentages of the population with a flexible work schedule are analyzed. It is found that travelers with flexibility in their work schedules tend to depart for work later to avoid peak periods in the morning. The average travel time in the network will decrease by at most 22% when 60% of the travelers have flexible work schedules.

scholarly journals Flexibility

2010 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isik U. Zeytinoglu ◽  
Gordon B. Cooke ◽  
Sara L. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Work Schedule ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Employee Survey ◽  
Flexible Work Schedules ◽  
Compressed Workweek

Summary This paper examines whether flexible work schedules in Canada are created by employers for business reasons or to assist their workers achieve work-life balance. We focus on long workweek, flextime, compressed workweek, variable workweek length and/or variable workweek schedule. In the last three decades, two streams of literature have emerged on flexibility. One stream of literature discusses flexibility as demand-driven, that is, a strategic initiative of employers to enhance the business requirements of the firm. The other stream of literature discusses flexibility as supply-driven, where employees have the ability to influence the decisions about the nature of their work schedules and where employees, especially women, demand flexible work schedules for work-life balance. Thus, we ask are flexible work schedules created for business reasons or to assist workers achieve work-life balance? Statistics Canada’s 2003 Workplace and Employee Survey data linking employee microdata to workplace (i.e., employer) microdata are used in the analysis. Results show that more than half of the workers covered in this data have at least one of the five specified types of flexible work schedules. Approximately 5% of workers have a long workweek, 36% have flextime, 7% a compressed workweek, 13% a variable workweek length, and 16% a variable workweek schedule. Only two in five Canadians have a standard work schedule. Employment status, unionized work, occupation, and sector are factors consistently associated with flexible work schedules. Personal characteristics of marital status, dependent children, and childcare use are not significantly associated with flexible work schedules, while females are less likely to have a flexible work schedule than males. Overall, results suggest that flexible work schedules are created for business reasons rather than individual worker interests. Thus, if public policy makers are committed to facilitating workers’ work-family-life balance interests, then our results suggest that separate policy initiatives designed specifically for workers will be required.

scholarly journals Spokojenost školních psychologů a pohled na klady a zápory jejich práce

E-psychologie ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-30
Author(s):  
Marie Herynková ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
School Psychologists ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work Schedule ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Flexible Work Schedule

The research study discusses the view of school psychologists on the positive and negative aspects of their profession. In addition, the research aims to discover to what extent school psychologists are satisfied with their work. The results show that the most frequently mentioned positive aspects of the work of school psychologists are the possibility of direct work with clients, a flexible work schedule and a flexibility in working approach and diversity. On the contrary, the most frequently mentioned disadvantages are difficult relationships in the workplace, unclear role, and loneliness. A large part of the respondent sample (N = 61, 59 women) are job-satisfied. A statistically significant correlation was found between job satisfaction and the practice length as well as the number of weekly working hours.

scholarly journals An examination of the relationship between flexible work arrangements, work-family conflict, organizational commitment, and job performance

Management ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-187
Author(s):  
Jacob Ongaki
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Work Schedules ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Family Work ◽  
Work Conflict ◽  
Flexible Work Schedules ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangement ◽  
Work Arrangement ◽  
Family Work Conflict

Summary Many employees are often faced with an inter-role conflict between work and that of a family in the U.S. However, business leaders and Human Resource Management (HRM) may not recognize the problem affecting white-collar employees. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to determine whether or not a relationship existed between employees’ use of flexible working arrangements as predictor variables (such as flexible work schedules and telecommuting) and work-family conflict and family-work conflict as covariate variables, and organizational outcomes (such as organizational commitment and job performance outcome variables). The self-reported survey data included 237 employees who have utilized flexible work arrangements in service organizations in the state of Texas. The inconclusive ANCOVA parametric data assumption resulted in further employ Kruskal-Wallis statistical analysis with less restrictive normality assumption The ANCOVA and Kruskal-Wallis analyses tests revealed a statistically significant result for employees’ use of flexible work options (a combination of flexible work schedules and telecommuting) to alleviate family-work conflict. The use of a single option (flexible work schedules or telecommuting) was statistically insignificant to employees. Despite the rigorous study, limitations are inevitable particularly for self-reported data and non-experimental study. The difficulty to determine the participants’ honesty unintentional misrepresentations reflected in the validity of the study (Hunter, 2012; Matsui et al., 2005). Nevertheless, the study provided insight information to organizational management not to overlook the use of flexible work arrangement practices to mitigate employees’ family-work conflict (Gözükara & Çolakoğlu, 2015) to achieve organizational outcomes. Future researchers should replicate this study to include flexible work arrangement users vs. non-flexible work arrangement employees in other states, regions, and industries.

scholarly journals WFM Systems as a Digital Business Transformation Tool

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-194
Author(s):  
A. A. Grigoryan
Keyword(s):  
Current Problem ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work Schedule ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Workforce Management ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Flexible Work Schedule ◽  
Time Planning

The article focuses on the current problem – the efficiency of employees' working hours through the use of special systems for work time planning (workforce management). An analysis of the use of various management tools to create an effective employee schedule is presented. It has been shown that the number of companies implementing automated programs for recording and planning employees' working hours is gradually growing. The main advantages and disadvantages identified by managers implementing digital solutions in the work schedule process were identified. Various types of specialized software for creating a flexible work schedule have been investigated, as well as key criteria by which the best WFM systems are determined. In the course of this classification, parameters have been defined, which should be given special attention when deciding on the use of the WFM system in the company. Based on the results of the study conducted by the author, recommendations were developed for the implementation of such digital solutions in the company. The author concluded that these systems were necessary for enterprises focused on digitalizing their business, since they made it possible to optimize staff costs and increase employee efficiency.

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