scholarly journals The Good, the Bad and the Blend: The Strategic Role of the “Middle Leadership” in Work-Family/Life Dynamics during Remote Working

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Paola Spagnoli ◽  
Amelia Manuti ◽  
Carmela Buono ◽  
Chiara Ghislieri
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Psychosocial Risks ◽  
Management Leadership ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Work Family

The ongoing epidemiological crisis has suddenly steered us towards a new futuristic work scenario in which most service sector employees work remotely, which could be a permanent reality for most service sector employees. This paper focuses on the strategic role that leadership could play in the radical change process that is taking place in work environments. Particular attention was paid to the role of ‘middle managers’ who perform an important function as a link between the strategic vision of top management and the workforce. In addition, special attention was paid to gender differences in work-life dynamics, which are particularly relevant in countries with traditional cultural identities. As this is a conceptual contribution, the most recent studies on this specific role of middle managers have been taken into account and embedded in the current scenario. Therefore, the main contribution in terms of originality was that the current review aimed to leverage such a legacy of knowledge and create a system of evidence-based practical implications for effectively supporting change in organizational culture through the identification of the most appropriate middle management leadership models for remote working that could prevent and/or limit any psychosocial risks (e.g., workaholism and technostress) and longer-term outcomes such as sustainable work-life interface.

scholarly journals Making strategy work: The role of the middle manager

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Jansen Van Rensburg ◽  
Annemarie Davis ◽  
Peet Venter
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Strategy Implementation ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Middle Manager ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Downward Influence ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
Private And Public

AbstractIn recognition of middle managers as influential strategists we collected 654 responses from South African middle managers detailing their spontaneous and unguided descriptions of their strategic roles in the organisation they represent. The results show that middle managers generally associate their strategic role strongly with the traditional perspectives on the roles as implementers of strategies and communicators linking their subordinates and higher levels of management. We add the roles of ‘advocacy’ and ‘improving operational performance’ to the conventional elements of strategy implementation, and the roles of ‘managing performance’ and ‘driving compliance’ to the role of downward influence. Focus group discussions contextualised and authenticated these roles within the South African private and public sectors.

Direct and indirect effects of work‒family enrichment: role of gender role ideology

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidhi Bansal ◽  
Upasna A. Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Gender Role ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Decision Latitude ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Role Ideology ◽  
Family Culture ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Work Family Enrichment ◽  
Family Enrichment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents (i.e. work‒family culture and decision latitude) and outcome (innovative workplace behavior (IWB)) of work‒family enrichment (WFE). The study also examines the moderated mediation hypothesis between WFE and outcome, considering work‒life balance (WLB) as a mediator and gender role ideology (GRI) as the moderator. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were collected through a questionnaire survey from 426 Indian dual working parents, working in various sectors, through purposive sampling technique. Findings The study found that work‒family culture and decision latitude are positively related to WFE, which, in turn, results in increased IWB, with WLB acting as its mediator. Further, the study also found a moderating effect of GRI between WFE and WLB relationship; more specifically, the relationship between WFE and balance is stronger for egalitarian employees (high GRI). Research limitations/implications Using self-reported questionnaire data and a cross-sectional research design is the limitation of this study. Originality/value The study examines a relatively less focused phenomenon of work‒life interface, that is WFE in one of the underrepresented contexts like India; further, the study extends the range of antecedents and outcomes of WFE. Additionally, it contributes to understand the enrichment‒balance relationship, whereby it explains the role of GRI in developing a balanced perception.

scholarly journals Work-Life Programs and Employment Continuity in a Single Organization: Understanding from Whole-Life Approach to Career Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-44
Author(s):  
Asna Usman ◽  
Waqar Akbar ◽  
Mehren Mansoor ◽  
Naila Imran ◽  
Saba Khan
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Supervisor Behavior ◽  
Work Family Enrichment ◽  
Family Enrichment

This study examines the effect of work-life programs on employment continuity with a mediating role of work-family enrichment in a single organization using a work-family enrichment model. Consistent with the leader–member exchange theory, this study also examines the moderating role of family-supportive supervisor behavior between work-life programs and work-family enrichment. Data was collected from 218 employees working in the financial sector of Pakistan. Using partial least square structural equation modeling, the study findings suggest that work-life programs have no direct effect on employment continuity; however, the results show an indirect effect of work-life programs on employment continuity through the mediating role of work-family enrichment. Although family-supportive supervisor behavior has a significant impact on work-family enrichment, the findings show that it does not moderate the relationship between work-life programs and work-family enrichment. This study indicates to organizations the various work and nonwork factors that an employee considers while making career decisions, thus encouraging organizations to engage in whole-life approach to career development to retain valuable employees.

scholarly journals Affordability and Work-Family Balance as key predictors of favorable attitude towards online businesses in women e-entrepreneurs of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
Amal Sajjad ◽  
Jawad Tariq ◽  
Ahmed Usman ◽  
Inam ul Haq
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Favorable Attitude ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family

The study assessed the role of factors, affordability and work family balance, in shaping favorable attitude of women Facebook e-entrepreneurs towards online businesses in Pakistan after controlling for socio-demographic, household, and business characteristics. Data from a nonrandom sample of 112 women e-entrepreneurs operating their online businesses through Facebook was analyzed. The independent variables were affordability and work life balance and the dependent variable was favorable attitude towards online businesses. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Factor analysis and reliability analysis was done to assess validity and reliability of the scales used in the study. Hierarchical multiple regression was carried out to assess the effect of independent variables on dependent variable. The study found that affordability/low startup cost of business and work life balance were statistically significant determinants of favorable attitude towards online businesses. All control variables added in the model were statistically insignificant. The study recommends that interventions such as providing e-entrepreneurship trainings to vulnerable segments of women population can increase their empowerment. The study also suggests that action based studies should be carried out to assess the effect of e-entrepreneurship on women empowerment.

Characterizing Work-Life for Information Work on Mars

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (GROUP) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Rhema Linder ◽  
Chase Hunter ◽  
Jacob McLemore ◽  
Senjuti Dutta ◽  
Fatema Akbar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Life On Mars ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
Information Work ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Design Fiction ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Narrative Account

We present a design fiction, which is set in the near future as significant Mars habitation begins. Our goal in creating this fiction is to address current work-life issues on Earth and Mars in the future. With shelter-in-place measures, established norms of productivity and relaxation have been shaken. The fiction creates an opportunity to explore boundaries between work and life, which are changing with shelter-in-place and will continue to change. Our work includes two primary artifacts: (1) a propaganda recruitment poster and (2) a fictional narrative account. The former paints the work-life on Mars as heroic, fulfilling, and fun. The latter provides a contrast that depicts the lived experience of early Mars inhabitants. Our statement draws from our design fiction in order to reflect on the structure of work, stress identification and management, family and work-family communication, and the role of automation.

Strategic roles of service sites: application of Ferdows’s model

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Hallavo ◽  
Markku Kuula ◽  
Antero Putkiranta
Keyword(s):  
Operations Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Business ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
Traditional Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Environments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability to the service business of general models used in the manufacturing environment. This is done by applying Ferdows’s model, “the strategic role of the plant”, in two cases. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses the case approach. One case (IBM Nordic) is based on an interview, while the other case (Google) relies on secondary data. In each case the operations are mapped on Ferdows’s model. Findings – The cases indicate that the same kind of roles can be found in the service business as in traditional manufacturing environments, and that these roles are widely used. However, for communicative purposes, the model was terminologically slightly modified. Research limitations/implications – Although this study presents the findings of only two cases, the knowledge of material available from public sources leads us to believe that these findings are universal. The model is easy to communicate in the service sector and is thus a very valuable tool. Originality/value – Models used in the traditional manufacturing and operations management environment have not yet been fully discovered by, nor sufficiently applied in, the service sector. Academics and practitioners are busy trying to create new models in this sector, without noticing that the “old” tools are still usable. Benchmarking against the models used in other sectors might be a worthwhile exercise.

Workaholism and workplace incivility: the role of work–family enrichment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Taheri ◽  
Mohammad Asarian ◽  
Pooyan Shahhosseini
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Incivility ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Uncivil Behaviors ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Work Family Enrichment ◽  
Life Work ◽  
Family Enrichment

PurposeThis paper investigated the relationships among workaholism, work–family enrichment (work–life enrichment), and workplace incivility.Design/methodology/approachData on workaholism, incivility, and work–family enrichment were collected through the administration of a survey on 414 employees of a public bank in Iran.FindingsWorkaholism and life–work enrichment were positively and negatively related to uncivil behaviors, respectively, and workaholism was positively associated with work–family enrichment. Overall, work–family enrichment did not act as a mediator variable between workaholism and uncivil behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsFuture researchers should consider public or private organizations and assess the different instigators of incivility considering the mediator or moderating role of gender.Practical implicationsManagers should focus on reducing workaholism and developing life–work enrichment in order to decrease uncivil behaviors.Social implicationsGiven the hard economic and complex political conditions in Iran and increasing likelihood of uncivil behaviors, the results of the present study offer ways to minimize workplace incivility in employees.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the research on uncivil behavior by improving the understanding of organizational and personal factors (workaholism and work–life enrichment) that can influence workplace incivility among employees working in public organizations. It also addresses the usefulness of examining work–life enrichment disposition in understanding the relationship between workaholism and workplace incivility.

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