Carolyn Axtell

• Professor (Associate) at The University of Sheffield

There is growing research on the implementation of Digital Materials Passports (DMPs) in different industries, yet there is lack of guidance for preparing the human and organizational components within this ecosystem of change. To help fill this void, in this position paper, we develop propositions for dealing with the people and organizational cha...

A toolkit to promote sustainable and responsible digital change The Digital Change Toolkit is a freely available online resource which can help organisations to prepare, design, and evaluate the people and organisational aspects of digital change. It consists of three core components: a Six-Stage Change Process with comprehensive guidelines for e...

Safety voice refers to proactive communication actions that aim to improve safety by identifying current limitations and possibilities to create a safer workplace. This entails individuals to identify hazards and dangerous ways of working in advance, and provide constructive suggestions to generate a positive change. Drawing on goal regulation lite...

Purpose: Status is a central aspect of teamwork relationships and successful collaboration in teams, both online and offline. Status group membership and status perception shape behavioural expectations and norm perceptions of what is appropriate but despite their importance have been neglected in previous research. Status effects are of special in...

Call centres present a particularly challenging environment in which to conduct participatory job redesign interventions as they have many features that can inhibit the success of participatory interventions such as little history of employee participation, bureaucratic structures and high turnover. The aims of this chapter are to show that partici...

Virtual internships (or e-internships) represent unique transitional and temporary learning experiences that have not been studied widely. Using 18 interviews conducted with interns and internship providers, the authors explored the extent to which psychological contracts appear to emerge and operate within this computer-mediated context. The resul...

Participative job redesign interventions in call centres

Computer mediation has enabled virtual teams to collaborate across time and geographic boundaries. In addition, virtual or e-internships emerged about a decade ago. The advances in both computer mediation and human computer interaction have facilitated this development. The current paper examines the degree of virtuality found in 138 e-internship r...

As new work and internship options arise, educators, employers and students seek information about the learning benefits of these new arrangements. This is also the case in terms of e-internships. The purpose of this study was to assess the merit of the effort-reward imbalance model to understand appreciation and performance as reported by the e-in...

Cyberbullying research is beginning to expand from its roots in the youth context into the organisational realm. However, a lack of psychometrically sound scales that capture the diverse features of technological communication has hindered workplace cyberbullying research. The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable measure to ass...

The aim of this article is to formulate theoretical premises for a virtual workplace fit/misfit assessment tool as well as pilot the tool with a preliminary study. The theoretical basis lies in the environment-person fit theory applied in the field of worker-workspace relationship. The categories of Frequency, Atmosphere, Familiarity, Functionality...

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/DLO-09-2015-0073 Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline unique learning experience that virtual/e-internships can offer small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up organizations. Design/methodology/approach – We interviewed 18 experts on e-internships (interns and managers of intern...

Although the literature on traditional workplace bullying is advancing rapidly, currently investigations addressing workplace cyberbullying are sparse. To counter this, we present three connected research studies framed within dysempowerment theory (Kane, K., & Montgomery, K. (1998). A framework for understanding dysempowerment in organizations. Hu...

In this study we set out to better understand the dynamics behind group-based technology adoption by investigating the underlying mechanisms of changes in collective adoption decisions over time. Using a longitudinal multi-case study of production teams in the British oil and gas industry we outline how internally or externally triggered modificati...

Many job redesign interventions are based on a multiple mediator-multiple outcome model in which the job redesign intervention indirectly influences a broad range of employee outcomes by changing multiple job characteristics. As this model remains untested, the aim of this study is to test a multiple mediator-multiple outcome model of job redesign....

Research on organizational behavior is fundamentally an application of social psychology theory and phenomena. While much of organizational psychology is inherently grounded in social psychological research, these two disciplines are largely disconnected from one another. More visibility of the commonalities may encourage discussion, collaboration,...

We examine how the use of mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) among self-employed homeworkers affects their experience of work, focusing particularly on where work is carried out, how the work/non-work boundary is managed, and people's experiences of social and professional isolation. Positively, their use enhanced people's sen...

Objectives Workplace bullying is an occupational hazard for trainee doctors. However, little is known about their experiences of cyberbullying at work. This study examines the impact of cyberbullying among trainee doctors, and how attributions of blame for cyberbullying influence individual and work-related outcomes.Methods Doctors at over 6 months...

Sociological understanding of how business travellers make use of travel time is somewhat lacking. This article addresses this gap in knowledge via presenting an analysis of survey-based data collected from business people travelling by plane, train and car. Through disaggregating the data by travel mode, journey stage, technology use and task type...

Available online: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/IntR-11-2012-0226 Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to discuss the emergence of a new form of internship (virtual or e-internships), which poses particular challenges for the interns, the supervisors and organizations alike. The authors present results regarding the prevalence a...

The following paper examines a new form of internship as we know little about the prevalence and characteristics of e-internships to date. 187 e-internships were examined as part of a qualitative review of internet postings. The results demonstrate that postings for e-internships can be found in numerous countries and are posted online in various l...

Although existing literature points to the importance of developing shared norms in virtual work and there is some work on norms within online communities, there is little research focusing specifically on how different types of norms operate within virtual work environments. Because differences in expectations across locations can result in increa...

Purpose The purpose of this article is to examine whether employee learning strategies is a mechanism through which job design affects the employee innovation process. In particular, we test whether work-based learning strategies mediate the relationship between job design characteristics (job control and problem demand) and key components of the i...

This paper examines how some non-managerial/professional workers (mobile service engineers) used mobile phones for work, with a central focus on phone use during working hours. During working hours the engineers not only used their phones as work-related communication tools, but also as a tool to manage the work/non-work boundary. By examining non-...

This paper considers how employee innovation develops during the course of introducing team-working for production-related staff. Longitudinal analysis revealed that different predictors were active at different phases. At first, changes in idea implementation were related to changes in management support. Subsequently, changes in suggestion making...

The aim of this study was to gather and collate information from the major researchers and consultancies in the UK regarding the performance of Information Technology (IT) and the role of human and organizational factors. The findings are based on the experience of 45 of the leading experts in the UK, drawing on a collective sample of approximately...

This paper uses a generic dynamic model of a supply chain to quantify the consequences for supply chain dynamics of the distortion of information flows as they are processed by humans and then propagated along the supply chain. An important factor influencing these flows is the level of trust between supply chain partners. The dimensions of such tr...

The aim of this paper is to examine the mediating role played by five key job characteristics in the relationship between employee participation in a job redesign intervention and employee well-being. In studies of job redesign interventions, it has been assumed that any effects of employee participation in job redesign on well-being are a result o...

This paper is the first to explore the impact of culture on the acceptability of workplace bullying and to do so across a wide range of countries. Physically intimidating bullying is less acceptable than work related bullying both within groups of similar cultures and globally. Cultures with high performance orientation find bullying to be more acc...

Abstract Whilst mobile work is increasingly prevalent, there is little detailed study of this phenomenon in the specific context of a train. Thus, the current study focuses on how mobile work is conducted onboard trains, as a way of exploring general issues relating to mobility. Through survey and interview data, several constraints to mobile work...

This paper explores the relationships between employees‟ psychological contract perceptions, perspective-taking between employees and employers, and employees‟ responses to declining job satisfaction (e.g., absenteeism). Fifteen employees of a promotion agency participated in semi-structured telephone interviews, and their comments were explored qu...

The EnvironmentThe Nature of the ChangeThe Groups AffectedValuesCommunication and InvolvementMethods for Assisting ChangeEthicsConclusion References

What is Perspective Taking?Why is Perspective Taking Important at Work?Overview of Model of the Outcomes of Perspective TakingIntra-Individual Outcomes for the Perspective TakerInterpersonal and Dyadic OutcomesHigher-Level Outcomes and Enduring CapabilitiesPotential Negative OutcomesHow Might Perspective Taking be Enhanced at Work? What Inhibits or...

Remote working has many synonyms-such as teleworking, telecommuting, or virtual working. It is often considered to be enabled by advanced information and communications technologies which allow the electronic transfer of information, so that workers can communicate and coordinate tasks in multiple locations and asynchronously. It is the purpose of...

We propose that an important prerequisite of helping customers is the capacity to take the customer's perspective. If this is the case, then it is also important to consider the factors that might facilitate perspective taking. To investigate this, 347 customer service agents in a UK call centre were surveyed on the antecedents and outcomes of cust...

Whilst many teleworkers are increasingly working beyond home and office, these mobile teleworkers are neglected in the telework literature. This neglect is addressed through reviewing relevant literature, developing a conceptual locational framework that accounts for mobile teleworkers and the presentation of an illustrative example which links to...

Background and Chapter OverviewCore FeaturesDispersionTechnology-mediated CommunicationMedia Richness and ‘Cues-filtered-out’Nature and Context of the TeamKey Collaborative ProcessesSummary and Conclusions Theoretical and Practical ImplicationsGaps in the Literature and Future ResearchAcknowledgementsReferences

This article examines the influence of organizational practices on role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE); a person’s confidence in performing proactive, interpersonal tasks that go beyond traditional boundaries. A longitudinal study showed that increased task control, membership of an active improvement group, and breadth of training were associated wi...

This article describes a longitudinal study of how openness to change, job satisfaction, anxiety and depression are affected by exposure to a change situation - in this case, the implementation of new technology and work practices. Measures were taken before the change was fully implemented and again several months later. Employees fell into two gr...

Supplier perspective taking, whereby an internal customer adopts the perspective of an internal supplier, was investigated. Two dimensions were assessed: positive attributions and empathy. Supplier perspective taking was associated with team leader ratings of employees' contextual performance. Production ownership and integrated understanding predi...

A decision support system using extended quality function deployment model (EQFDM) and internet application for manufacturing supply chain (SC) planning has been developed in this research. In this paper, a customer-focused quality evaluation approach, the EQFDM with internet application is employed to develop a coordinated planning system in SCs a...

The direct and indirect effects of work characteristics on self-reported safe working were investigated in a longitudinal study of frontline manufacturing employees (N = 161). The work characteristics included job autonomy, role overload, role conflict, supportive supervision, training adequacy, job security, and communication quality. Job autonomy...

This article describes some tools that provide practical help for organizations when planning and evaluating new forms of work organization within modern working environments. Although tools exist for this purpose, they are not widely adopted. Methods need to be accessible to organizations and more descriptive examples of their application are requ...

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of fostering innovation among shopfloor employees, little empirical research has been conducted on the topic. Moreover, within work psychology, studies have tended to focus on the generation of ideas (creativity) rather than on their implementation. This study examines the impact of individual percep...

Analytical modelling of supply chains has tended to focus on the material flows whist neglecting the study of information dissemination across the supply chain. An important factor influencing these flows is the level of trust between supply chain partners. The dimensions of such trust are examined here and a brief review of research aimed at evalu...

The aim of this research was to examine the change and innovation capabilities of U.K. manufacturing companies across a range different sectors, and with regard to a variety of modern manufacturing practices. This was achieved by interviewing experts drawn from research, consultancy, professional bodies, and manufacturing companies. The findings in...

Interviews are a popular method of selection. They allow a two-way exchange between the organisation and the candidate so that both can gather and give information. As such, the emphasis is on gaining ‘evidence’ about whether the candidate is suitable for the job and whether the job is suitable for the candidate. The type of interview is also impor...

This paper is concerned with finding practical ways of incorporating human and organizational concerns during the development and use of new information technologies (IT). It is structured in four parts. First, we outline the work of the Institute of Work Psychology at the University of Sheffield. One major interest is with the human and organizati...

We argue that the software development process can be interpreted as a knowledge-intensive system, incorpor- ating the expertise and skills of many different people over extended periods of time and facing high levels of internal and external uncertainty. Such a perspective enables us to question some current fashions, challenge some powerful and p...

This paper is concerned with various problems that can impede the implementation and practice of user participation in the software development process. We describe a case study of a user centred design method in an in-house project. Taking a work organization perspective, we highlight several problem areas, relating to human and organizational iss...

Describes an exploratory investigation conducted to examine factors affecting the initial and sustained transfer of interpersonal skills training to the workplace. Demonstrates the ongoing role of trainee motivation in the immediate and longer term transfer of learned skills to work. Suggests that initial transfer of skills is an important prerequi...

In this paper we report findings from a study of the impact of cognitive and organizational factors upon the work of a software development project within a commercial context. We chose to study the relationship between the way in which project work is organized; the distribution of knowledge amongst project members; their use of programming tools;...

We report the findings from three studies of software development projects using a series of questions framed to provide a more detailed understanding than usually pertains of the management and organization, outcomes and derivations of work organization. We discuss some practical and theoretical implications of this work; in particular we conclude...

This paper is concerned with problems that can impede the involvement of users in the development process. Several problem areas are highlighted in a case study of an in-house development project, which arise from the organizational context, process of the method and its relationship with other procedures. We discuss the impacts of these problems a...

This paper describes a case study of large scale programming in a commercial context. In particular we chose to study the relationship between the way in which work is organized and allocated, the knowledge and expertise of project members, and the use of programming tools. Our findings point to a dynamic interplay between these factors which partl...

Subjects of reproductive age at risk of having an affected child with a severe single gene disorder such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) or cystic fibrosis (CF) were surveyed to ascertain: their views on genetic counselling and antenatal testing; their knowledge of their risk of having an affected child; and their psychological wellbeing. Ques...

For certain genetic conditions DNA testing identifies carriers and determines the risk status of foetuses, thus helping parents to make more informed prenatal decisions. Data, collected from three genetic centres in England and Wales from August 1986 to July 1990, are used to describe trends in demand for DNA testing, the impact of DNA tests on car...

ABSTRACT Research,on virtual ,working ,has ,highlighted how ,the ,lack of face-to-face interactions in such ,contexts ,affects communication ,dynamics ,and ,the ability of workers,to develop ,and ,sustain interpersonal ,relationships. This paper ,applies these ideas to a neglected, but increasingly important category of virtual worker, mobile,telew...