Browsing by Author "Doherty, Noeleen"
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Item Open Access 30 years on - what have we learned about careers?(1996-01-01T00:00:00Z) Adamson, Stephen; Doherty, Noeleen; Viney, C.In everyday conversation, the term ‘career’ is generally understood to refer to the sequence of work-related experiences an individual has over the course of their working lifetime. For many people, a ‘career’ is distinct from a job’, since it also conjures up images of steady, even logical, progression up organisational hierarchies. It is not simply about what one does for a living, but about what an individual has done, does now, and might do in the future; the notion of career therefore embraces the dimension of time. In the light of widespread organisational restructuring and economic uncertainty since the late eighties, many of the taken for granted assumptions which have underpinned traditional notions of career, and in particular the organisational career, no longer seem valid. Both individuals and organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to conceptualise the idea of a logical ( long term) sequence of work-related experiences; there is no longer a clear and mutual understanding of what the career means to both individuals and organisations. This paper argues that both individuals and organisations can meaningfully redefine the notion of career by reconsidering its broader theoretical undeItem Open Access Designing safer working interventions through a literature review using a mechanisms-based approach(Elsevier, 2019-07-20) Pilbeam, Colin; Denyer, David; Doherty, Noeleen; Davidson, RossThe explanation for what safety interventions work in any particular circumstance remains elusive, resulting in many work-related fatalities and injuries every year. We propose a shift in perspective from a preoccupation with safety interventions and their effects to an elucidation of the generative mechanisms underpinning safety and its contiguous context. Using an analytical framework based on contexts, interventions, mechanisms and outcomes (CIMO) we were able to review 43 empirical studies of safety interventions deployed by leaders in organizations. This motivated the development of 10 design propositions; 5 related to accident and injury reduction and 5 to changing safety behaviours. Greater understanding of the mechanisms by which interventions exert their effects will lead to the design of more context appropriate safety interventions thereby enhancing individual and organizational safety in the future and the development of evidence-based safety.Item Open Access Effect of isomorphic forces on safety practices in service organizations – are there dangers to homogeneity?(Iosh Services Limited, 2016-09-15) Pilbeam, Colin; Doherty, Noeleen; Davidson, Ross; Denyer, DavidA wide range of different safety practices exist. However, they have been developed for production-oriented high-hazard environments. We know relatively little about safety practices in low-hazard service sector environments where most people in the U.K work and which differ from production-oriented industries in their organization, working practices and hazards. We conducted 143 semi-structured interviews in 10 stores of four leading U.K retailers and an office and two warehouses of a global logistics company. These revealed 32 categories of safety practices in these service organizations which we aligned to those indicated in the OHSAS 18001 framework to allow comparison across industries. There were few practices that were not common to all service environments. Moreover, these closely resembled safety practices conducted in production-oriented high-hazard environments. We explain this homogeneity by institutional isomorphism, which encourages conformity through coercive, normative and mimetic pressures arising respectively from legal and regulatory requirements, professional standards and training, and lack of resources and staff turnover. We draw attention to the contingent relationship between hazards and appropriate safety practices and conclude that these pressures encourage organizations to borrow practices inappropriately and to accumulate layers of practices to ensure safe working needlessly increasing organizational costs. Opportunities for further research are discussed.Item Open Access An Exploration of Lebanese Leadership Effects on Followers‘ Work and Home Life Integration – A Banking Sector Study(Cranfield University, 2014-10) Hachem, Fadi; Horwitz, Frank Martin; Doherty, Noeleen; Kakabadse, Andrew P.This thesis examines leaders‘ behaviours differential effects on the work/home balance of their followers through a leader/follower fit perspective. The study explores perceived effects of leader‘s actions on followers‘ work/home balance in a Lebanese context. At the individual/dyad level, this research attempts to integrate these two areas of study. It aims to better understand, Lebanese employees‘ perspectives on the Lebanese leaders‘ practice of leadership in the banking industry and the perceived effect of this practice on the followers‘ work and home boundary management. Based on the adoption of a qualitative exploratory approach, the author conducts thirty semi-structured interviews with five leaders and twenty-five followers in different regions and divisions of the XYZ bank. The dissertation makes several theoretical and empirical contributions. First, boundary theory is empirically extended through the identification of one of the antecedents, i.e., polychronicity, of an individual‘s work/home segmentation/integration preference. Second, boundary theory is developed through the exploration of the Lebanese leaders‘ actions‘ impact on the followers‘ management of their work/home boundaries. Third, the literature on fit between the leader and the follower along different dimensions of interest to them is extended and developed. Fourth, the literature on the Middle East and in Lebanon on specific is enhanced. The implications of the Lebanese context, subject of this study, on the leadership and work/home literature are meaningful. In addition to these contributions, this study helps to surface ―actionable knowledge‖ on how to facilitate an employee‘s struggle to reach a harmony between his work and home life. This search for balance is increasingly sought nowadays as a result of the increase in work-related pressures especially for dual-earners.Item Open Access Exploring the Career Capital Impact of International Assignments within Distinct Organizational Contexts(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2009-07-07T00:00:00Z) Dickmann, Michael; Doherty, NoeleenThe existing expatriation literature concentrates on what individuals need to perform in an international assignment (IA) but neglects what they gain from their foreign work experience. Using a dual-dependency perspective this study presents results from 26 in-depth interviews with international secondees within two UK-based organizational contexts. The paper explores the perceived impact of an IA on the career capital of individuals, showing that the outcomes of IAs can be equivocal for expatriates. Each firm concentrated their human resource mechanisms on developing different types of career capital and this focused individual behaviour on diverse career capital activities. In one of the organizations there was an internal misalignment between organizational and individual assignee focus. Based on the research a number of propositions were developed. This study provided an exploratory insight into points of departure rather than complementarity in individuals' international careers in organizations, which has been at the core of much recent research and writing. A more complex, contextualized picture of the effects of IAs on the careers of individuals emerged.Item Open Access Exposing the Symbolic Capital of International Assignments(Taylor & Francis, 2009) Doherty, Noeleen; Dickmann, MichaelThis paper explores the symbolic capital attributed to international assignments (IAs). The concept of symbolic capital has been proposed as pivotal in the development and utility of career capital. Although the use of IAs remains a key strategy for global organizations and has been posed as a career advantage for individuals, there is a lack of research which attempts to explore the accumulation and utilization of the capital acquired from such experiences. This paper contributes to the current debate on international careers by examining the symbolic capital of IAs as a key element in international careers. Data from a case study within the financial services sector are used to explore some of the recently highlighted challenges of implementing and experiencing international assignment programmes. Areas for further exploration are proposed.Item Open Access Managerial perceptions of the personal and career transitions of redundant executives and suvivors of redundancy(Cranfield University, 2000-08) Doherty, Noeleen; Tyson, Shaun; Muir, HelenAlthough redundancy became widespread in the late 2Wh century, research was lacking on the perceived impact of redundancy and redundancy management policies on the individual. During the 1980s redundancy became more prevalent for managerial populations and outplacement was used increasingly for redundant executives. Survey data gathered in 1990 indicated that, the practical nature of outplacement, and the help in overcoming personal and career transitions, were valued by redundant executives. Redundant executives were dissatisfied with the fact that outplacement did not always secure them a job. Another survey in 1992 identified the corporate rationale for outplacement policies. Perceived benefits included professional, objective help to facilitate the transition for redundant individuals and a potentially ameliorating effect on the survivors of redundancy. However, a survey in 1994 indicated that companies were more focussed on managing organisational needs than the personal or career transition issues of survivors. The research suggested that outplacement had become a normative HR policy response which may have been instrumental in setting new parameters for the psychological contracts of redundant executives, such as re-balancing work and non-work life, and reviewing commitment and attachment to a corporate entity. For the survivors of redundancy, a psychological contract based on a looser association appeared to be the corporate offer. As highlighted by the study of the employment deal for graduates in the mid 1990s, against the backdrop of large scale redundancy, companies were quite ekplicitly offering developmental opportunities rather than a career, even to those destined for senior management levels. These combined data signalled shifts in the employment relationship. This thesis describes and analyses some of the apparent ambiguities between theory and practice relating to redundancy management, and outcomes at the individual level. It seeks clarification through the development of a model of redundancy management.Item Open Access Measuring the return on investment in international assignments: an action research approach(Taylor & Francis, 2012-09-01T00:00:00Z) Doherty, Noeleen; Dickmann, MichaelThis paper progresses the debate on the underresearched topic of return on investment (ROI) in international assignments by complementing and extending recent research streams on the conceptual understanding and challenging nature of measuring ROI. The study reported in this paper applies an action research methodology. Working in close collaboration with nine multinational companies, a set of metrics were developed to explore and gauge the ROI of international assignments. An in-depth exploration of the assignment purpose and individual and organizational otucomes over time highlights the importance of context and the dynamic nature of the task of assessing ROI. These themes have significant implications for international assignment strategy policy and practice. Insights from an action research perspective are discussed.Item Open Access Middle managers’ role in organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviours(Cranfield University, 2015-06) Landa, Clive H.; Doherty, Noeleen“Any motivated behavior, either preparatory or consummatory, must be understood to be a channel through which many basic needs may be simultaneously expressed or satisfied. Typically an act has more than one motivation.” (Maslow 1943, p.370) Written before organizational behaviour had been named let alone studied as a separate discipline, Abraham Maslow warned of the dangers of assuming that an individual behaviour can be explained simply by a single motivation. This dissertation will argue that where organizations operate in the context of continuing downsizing over long periods it is necessary to consider more than just positive affect employee motivations, such as organizational commitment. It may also prove important to consider more ambivalent motivations such as those involved in impression management. Since the early days of organizational behaviour researchers have sought to explain the degree of attachment shown by workers towards their organization. A great deal has been learned regarding two related constructs, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviours. This research contributes to the theoretical framework underlying these two constructs. Empirical studies have shown associations between organizational commitment and aspects of an organization’s culture, for example organizational values and vision/mission. The underlying process has been explained by use of social exchange theory (Blau, 1964). Similarly, studies have shown an association between organizational citizenship behaviours and two other constructs besides organizational commitment, the individual’s perception of support from the organization and from the individual’s manager respectively. The resulting, widely accepted, models explain citizenship behaviours through two ‘pathways’, one via support from the organization, the other via support from their manager. Provision of such support is met by positive reciprocation by the individual. The research reported here assumes that any relationship between an individual employee and their organization may, and is likely to, be influenced by the actions of their direct report manager. A systematic literature review showed comparatively little research into the role of the manager and his/her role in influencing organizational commitment. This led to two empirical studies of middle managers’ role in influencing organizational commitment in their teams. Throughout this thesis the term middle manager is used interchangeably with direct report manager or line-manager. These terms are expressly taken to exclude both senior managers (those in a position to determine or contribute significantly to organizational level factors e.g. vision/mission and HR policies) and the first line supervisor with only task and team leader responsibilities. The first study found that the managers in the sample preferred the term engagement to commitment and that they focused largely on those citizenship behaviours of their direct reports that contributed directly to major performance measures i.e. key performance indicators. The second study in a different organization set out to explore whether or not this finding was repeated and irrespective of this, what techniques if any the managers used to influence both organizational commitment and citizenship behaviours in their teams. In addition to repeating the use of qualitative methods this study also incorporated some quantitative methods (surveys) in order to identify the direct reports’ levels of the relevant constructs. While the survey results showed that levels of both commitment and citizenship were high, unexpectedly and contrary to current models, the levels of perceived organizational and manager support were low. This runs counter to the prediction of social exchange theory. Nevertheless, it is argued that the current data can be explained, if one adds a third pathway to the model via impression management. This in turn can be attributed to an individual’s heightened job insecurity in times of downsizing and a consequent attempt to demonstrate one’s value to the manager/organization. It is further argued that any citizenship behaviours that may arise from impression management may not fully exploit the potential contributions from individuals. The techniques used by middle managers to encourage both organizational commitment and citizenship behaviours in their teams are reported and suggestions for further research are discussed.Item Open Access Performance management and well-being: a close look at the changing nature of the UK higher education workplace(Taylor and Francis, 2017-06) Franco-Santos, Monica; Doherty, NoeleenThe relationship between HRM and well-being has received a significant amount of research attention; however, results are still contested. Our study addresses this phenomenon in the Higher Education sector. We specifically investigate the association between performance management and the perceived well-being of academic staff. Our research finds that the application of a directive performance management approach, underpinned by agency theory ideas as evidenced by a high reliance on performance measures and targets, is negatively related to academics’ well-being (i.e. the more it is used, the worse people feel). In contrast, an enabling performance management approach, based on the learnings of stewardship theory, emphasising staff involvement, communication and development, is positively related to academics’ well-being. We also find the positive relationship between enabling practices and well-being is mediated by how academics experience their work (i.e. their perceptions of job demands, job control and management support). These results indicate that current trends to intensify the use of directive performance management can have consequences on the energy and health of academics, which may influence their motivation and willingness to stay in the profession. This research suggests that an enabling approach to managing performance in this context, may have more positive effects.Item Open Access A positive policy? Corporate perspectives on redundancy and outplacement(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 1993-01-01T00:00:00Z) Doherty, Noeleen; Tyson, Shaun; Viney, ClaireThe management of the job-loss situation is becoming of central importance to top management and human resource executives in the current climate of redundancy. The current nature of severance packages and the provision of outplacement may be interpreted as a move towards normative practices within the policy making of many UK organizations. Reports on the results of a recent survey of over 600 UK organizations. The survey covered organizational perspectives on redundancies and the use of outplacement in the event of redundancy. The results indicated a change in corporate values in the 1990s. There appeared to be a move towards normative practices in the management of redundancy and in particular in the use of outplacement as a moderator of the potentially detrimental impact of the redundancy situation.Item Open Access Safety leadership practices for organizational safety compliance: developing a research agenda from a review of the literature(Elsevier, 2016-03-03) Pilbeam, Colin; Doherty, Noeleen; Davidson, Ross; Denyer, DavidSafety leadership is asserted to positively influence safety compliance amongst employees. We examine this assertion by conducting a systematic literature review of the available academic literature on safety leadership practices and observed safety outcomes. We identified 25 empirical studies, the majority of which measured leadership through generic scales (MLQ and LMX). Closer scrutiny of the outcome measures suggested that these were mainly aligned to the implementation and operations phases of the OHSAS 18001 safety management systems framework. We conclude that safety compliance has been narrowly defined in academic study, but in practice embraces a much wider range of activities. While safety leadership may contribute to successfully achieving these other actions, there is no empirical evidence for this. Moreover, there is considerable critique of transformational and transactional leadership, so that the specification of desired leadership practices is problematic. We propose that a broader conceptualization of safety compliance requires safety leadership to embrace ‘plural’ forms of leadership. We draw attention to the narrow range of contexts in which safety leadership has been empirically studied and suggest other settings for investigation. Alternative methods for investigating safety leadership other than scales of leadership behaviour are suggested to enrich our understanding of safety leadership and so improve safety compliance.Item Open Access Safety risk factors in two different types of routine outsourced work: a systematic literature review(Taylor & Francis, 2020-07-08) Pilbeam, Colin; Denyer, David; Doherty, NoeleenOutsourcing generates risks for client firms but these vary according to the contracted task. This systematic literature review reports on 50 empirical studies that investigate the safety risk factors associated with outsourcing aligning them with the three categories of safety risk factors identified by Underhill and Quinlan in their PDR-Model. By using a 2x2 framework based on the strategic value of the task to the client firm (core or peripheral) and its level of complexity (complex or routine) we could combine studies of outsourced relationships between firms with those between firms and individuals. This demonstrated that there is little empirical evidence available for the safety risk factors associated with complex outsourced tasks. It also showed that routine tasks core to the client business contained risk factors associated with both economic and reward pressure and disorganization. Finally, safety risk factors associated with routine peripheral tasks were mainly due to economic and reward pressures in firm-to-individual contracting, but due to disorganization in firm-to-firm contracting.Item Open Access Secrets of a happy workforce(Cranfield University School of Management, 2011-09-26T00:00:00Z) Doherty, NoeleenItem Open Access Self-initiated expatriation and self-initiated expatriates: Clarification of the research stream(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z) Doherty, Noeleen; Richardson, Julia; Thorn, KayePurpose – This paper aims to move towards clarification of the self-initiated expatriate/expatriation construct with the aim of extending and deepening theory development in the field.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on Suddaby's think piece on construct clarity, this paper applies his proposed four elements; definitional clarity, scope conditions, relationships between constructs and coherence, in order to clarify the SIE construct.Findings – The discussion examines the “problem of definition” and its impact on SIE scholarship. The spatial, temporal and value-laden constraints that must be considered by SIE scholars are expounded, and the links between SIE research and career theory are developed. From this, potential research agendas are proposed.Research limitations/implications – This is a conceptual piece which, rather than giving precise research data, encourages further thinking in the field.Originality/value – Although the definitional difficulties of SIEs have been identified in previous literature, this is the first attempt to clarify the boundaries of SIE and its interconnectedness with other related constructs.Item Open Access Understanding and supporting the career implications of international assignments(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, 2011-06-30T00:00:00Z) Collings, David G.; Doherty, Noeleen; Luethy, Madeleine; Osborn, DerekInternational assignments represent an important form of migration in the global economy. In contrast to most other migrants, international assignees enjoy a relatively privileged, position in the labor market. Authored by a diverse team of academics and practitioners, this paper draws on insights from empirical research and unpublished examples from practice to explore how international assignees can be supported before, during and after the international assignment. We move beyond the traditional expatriate cycle as a frame of reference, arguing that many of the challenges from the individual perspective are continuous, often pertinent well before and well after the assignment. We call for a reframing of career support for international assignees to reflect the reality of the experience. We propose that future studies of the impact of international assignments on career use more sophisticated methods including longitudinal studies of career trajectories and experiences of support practices. (138) (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Item Open Access Understanding the self-initiated expatriate: A review and directions for future research(Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2013-10-01T00:00:00Z) Doherty, NoeleenThe study of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) has gained pace in the last decade, focusing on these individuals, their motivations, their behaviours and their relevance to the global workforce. Published works produced between 1996 and 2011 are reviewed. A thematic analysis indicates that key topics of focus in current research cover: characteristics of the self-initiated and their work-related experiences and management; comparative studies of company-backed versus self-initiated expatriation and the self-initiated as global talent flow. This paper identifies a need for clarification of the construct of SIEs, expands on the theoretical perspectives used to examine SIEs and offers a framework to facilitate coherence in the direction of future research and the application of knowledge to practice in this field of study.Item Open Access What learning happens? Using audio diaries to capture learning in response to safety-related events within retail and logistics organizations(Elsevier, 2015-08-28) Pilbeam, Colin; Davidson, Ross; Doherty, Noeleen; Denyer, DavidLearning from safety incidents has typically been investigated amongst front-line workers in high hazard contexts. In contrast this study collected safety incident data using audio-recorders from 21 respondents across the organizational hierarchy in two retail and one logistics company in the UK. The diary data highlight the propensity for problem-fixing in a single-loop learning mode rather than deeper, double-loop learning problem-resolution. The latter occurs amongst those with organizational responsibility for safety, irrespective of hierarchical position. The observation of violations is suggestive of prior learning of correct procedures and these data suggest that near-misses are under-reported in organizations.Item Open Access Why do they go? Individual and corporate perspectives on the factors influencing the decision to accept an international assignment(Taylor & Francis, 2008-12-01T00:00:00Z) Dickmann, Michael; Doherty, Noeleen; Mills, Timothy; Brewster, ChrisThis article explores the motives of individuals to accept international assignments. It uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to further our understanding of how important a variety of items are in the decision to work abroad. Employing a mutual dependency perspective it contrasts individual motives and organizational perspectives. Organizations significantly underestimate the importance of career, work/life balance and development considerations and overestimate the financial imperative and some family motives. The analysis showed that for individuals some of these factors significantly relate to outcome variables in terms of the perceived career capital accrued from assignments. The study presents a more nuanced picture of influence factors on the decision to go and advocates the use of context- sensitive, multiple perspectives. Practical implications for multinational organizations are discussed.