Jonathan H. Westover

Academic Service-Learning Across Disciplines: Models, Outcomes, and Assessment

Jonathan H. Westover — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:19:08 PST

While service-learning is not a new phenomenon, the popularity and usage of this “civically-engaged” experiential learning pedagogy has increased in educational settings in recent years. As we live in an increasingly hyper-competitive and interconnected globalized world, where consumers and citizens are demanding greater levels of corporate social responsibility and civic engagement from organizational leaders within their local community, service-learning is being utilized more and more to provide meaningful community service opportunities that simultaneously teach civic responsibility and encourage life-long civic engagement, while also providing opportunities for significant real-life, hands-on learning of important skills and vital social understanding for students. This edited collection provides a comprehensive introduction to service-learning, its outcomes, and approaches to effective assessment of service-learning activities by presenting a wide range of cross-disciplinary research in an organized, clear, and accessible manner. It will be informative to both K-12 and higher education teaching professionals, administrators, students, and community leaders seeking to understand proven practices and methods for effective Service-Learning implementation across academic disciplines.

Organizational Culture, Learning, and Knowledge Management

Jonathan H. Westover — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:36:14 PST

We live in an increasingly hyper-competitive global marketplace, where firms are fighting to stay lean and flexible in an effort to satisfy increasingly diverse and specialized consumer demand around the world. Additionally, with the shifting global economy in recent decades and the emergence of the technology and service-oriented knowledge organizations, how do organizations effectively foster a continuous learning and innovation culture? What can organizational leaders do to promote ongoing organizational learning that will have a measurable impact on increased firm effectiveness and employee productivity? How can organizations more successfully manage organizational knowledge to achieve strategic organizational goals and add value to all organizational stakeholders? These are just some of the pressing questions facing the organizations of today. This edited collection provides a comprehensive introduction to organizational culture, learning, and knowledge management and explores the wide sweeping impacts for the modern workplace, presenting a wide range of cross-disciplinary research in an organized, clear, and accessible manner. It will be informative to management academics and instructors, while also instructing organizational managers, leaders, and human resource development professionals of all types seeking to understand proven practices and methods to create organizational systems and culture to promote ongoing organizational learning and innovation to drive firm effectiveness in an increasingly competitive global economy.

Divorce

Stephen J. Bahr et al. — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:16:55 PST

Why We Trust: Institutional and Interpersonal Trust Formation and the LDS Church

Jonathan H. Westover — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:09:32 PST

While continuing my schooling and professional studies, I have found myself drawn to the study of the sociology of organizations. One facet of organizations that I find fascinating is the formation of institutional trust. In a nut-shell, institutional trust is just like it sounds—trust within an institution—and means that institutions (in this case a particular organization) either promote or constrain micro-level interpersonal and personal trust relations through macro-level organizational processes. Often one can look specifically at a given organization’s characteristics and processes (programs, policies, procedures, hierarchy, etc.) and denote some of the impact that these characteristics and processes will have on the trust formation and maintenance of individuals within that organization.

The Influence of Religion and Gender on Utah Employee Perceptions of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Susan R. Madsen et al. — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:05:16 PST

There is much debate regarding the level of ethical responsibility a business has to its local community as well as to society as a whole. Although extensive research has been published in the U.S. on this debate (e.g., Carroll, 1999; Daft, 2003; Wherther & Chandler, 2006), related studies have not been conducted within Utah. To remedy this gap, we investigated employee perceptions of the ethical and social responsibilities of businesses, their organization’s related actions and priorities, and their own related actions and behaviors in the workplace.

The Relationship between Job Satisfaction and other Important Individual, Organizational, and Social Outcomes

Jonathan H. Westover — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:44:31 PDT

As work continues to be a very important part of our everyday lives, and as the nature of work has been changing the past several decades due in large part to an increasingly global economy, researchers across academic disciplines have continued to closely examine job satisfaction and its relationship to a variety of important individual, organizational, and social outcomes. This paper summarizes the empirical and theoretical research advancements in these areas over the past several decades and suggests considerations for continued future examination of job satisfaction and its outcomes.

Job Satisfaction in the Public Service: The Effects of Public Service Motivation, Workplace Attributes and Work Relations

Jonathan H. Westover et al. — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:10:02 PDT

What satisfies a public servant? Is it the money? Or is it something else, like an interesting and autonomous job, or serving the public interest? Utilizing non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program on Work Orientations across different countries for 1997 and 2005, this article examines the effects of a selection of antecedents that are commonly related to job satisfaction. The respondents from different countries were found to share similarities in terms of what satisfies them in their jobs. The emphasis placed on these factors was however found to vary for some countries.

Examining Job Satisfaction: Causes, Outcomes, and Comparative Differences

Jonathan H. Westover — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:19:54 PST

In today’s shifting global economy and the emergence of the technology and service-oriented knowledge organization, requiring enhanced levels of organizational flexibility and innovation, how do we maximize the human capital potential of workers to enhance their ability to perform and add value in a hyper-intensive competitive global marketplace? What are the methods and strategies for effectively motivating employees and increasing the job satisfaction of workers? What are the important drivers of worker satisfaction? What are the important individual, organizational, and social outcomes of various job satisfaction levels? What are the individual, organizational, and societal differences in job satisfaction levels and its determinants? These are just some of the pressing questions facing the organizations of today.

This edited collection provides a comprehensive introduction to job satisfaction and its wide sweeping impacts for the modern workplace, presenting a wide range of cross-disciplinary research in an organized, clear, and accessible manner. It will be informative to management academics and instructors, while also instructing organizational managers, leaders, and human resource development professions of all types seeking to understand proven practices and methods to maximize their human capital potential and get the most out of workers that will drive an enhanced competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive global economy.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Changing Job Quality and Worker Satisfaction in Israel

Jonathan H. Westover — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:45:49 PST

Prior research has indicated that the nature of work has changed dramatically in recent years in response to economic shifts and an increasingly global economy. This study used non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program (Work Orientations I and II: 1989 and 1997—survey questions on job characteristics and job quality) to examine the changing job quality and job satisfaction determinants in Israel, while exploring the country contextual and cultural shifts that impacted this change. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis show that there were many significant changes in the intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics and perceived job satisfaction of Israeli workers from 1989 to 1997. The study found workers’ job satisfaction impacting firm performance and workers’ well-being. The results affirm the need for firms to be cognizant of differences and unique challenges facing Israeli workers and thus tailor their management philosophy and policies to create an organizational environment mutually beneficial to the firm and the employees.

Cross-National Differences in Work Characteristics and Job Satisfaction: A Comparative Analysis from Post and Neo-Fordist Perspectives

Jonathan H. Westover — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:51:26 PST

In this research, I apply and extend Handel’s (2005) Post and Neo-Fordist framework for understanding job characteristics and job satisfaction. Prior research has indicated that the nature of work has changed dramatically in recent years in response to economic shifts and an increasingly global economy. However, there is little agreement on whether the overall quality of work has improved or declined over that period. Furthermore, less is known about changes in job satisfaction and its various indicators over time, based on how the workers feel. Finally, even less is known about the overall comparative quality of work and job satisfaction across the global economy. In this study I use non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program (Work Orientations I and II: 1989 and 1997—survey questions on job characteristics and job quality) to conduct an exploratory comparative analysis of job quality and job satisfaction in relation to the differing theoretical predictions of Post-Fordist and Neo-Fordist paradigms in looking at changing job quality characteristics across nations as they relate to these global economic shifts.

Review of: Hirst, Paul, Thompson, Grahame and Bromley, Simon (Globalization in Question. Polity Press: Cambridge)

Jonathan H. Westover — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:41:12 PST

Review of: Gregory, Stephen (The Devil Behind the Mirror: Globalization and Politics in the Dominican Republic. University of California Press: Berkeley, CA)

Jonathan H. Westover — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:38:59 PST

International Differences in Job Satisfaction: The Effects of Public Service Motivation, Rewards and Work Relations

Jonathan H. Westover et al. — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:29:10 PST

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to explore cross-national differences in job satisfactions and its determinants over time (1989-2005), which, in turn, impact long-term worker productivity and performance. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program on Work Orientations I, II, and III for 1989, 1997 and 2005, various bivariate and multivariate descriptive statistics and ordinary least squared regression analysis are used to explore the relationship between job satisfaction and its key determinants cross-nationally in six countries (West Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Hungary, Norway and Israel). Findings – For all countries, findings clearly show that intrinsic rewards explain the most variance in the respondents' job satisfaction, followed by work relations with management. In contrast, public service motivation-fit (PSM-fit) and work relations with co-workers are found to play a less prominent role in shaping job satisfaction. Additionally, findings show that the above-mentioned determinants of job satisfaction vary by country. Additionally, apart from age, which is found to be a significant antecedent of job satisfaction for 1989, 1997 and 2005 waves, the significance of the personal antecedents tends to vary with each wave. Research limitations/implications – The primary limitations to this research relate to the use of a pre-existing dataset. The measurement of the study variables, particularly job satisfaction and public service motivation (PSM), is constrained by the limited single-item measurement scales used in the surveys. Additionally, the measurement scale of PSM could be more rigorous. Data collected from self-completed survey such as this can also suffer from common method variance; the respondents may have a distorted perception of their organizational conditions. Despite these limitations, this research supports the descriptive literature and empirical studies that look at job satisfaction, PSM, workplace rewards, and interpersonal dynamics. Practical implications – In an increasingly competitive global market, more and more organizations have to ask the difficult question, “How can we get more out of our employees?” However, though there are diverse “quick-fix” methods to achieving rather short-term gains in worker productivity and performance, long-term and enduring improvement requires a strengthening and spreading of core organizational values and beliefs that increase overall worker satisfaction to help create a high engagement and achievement organizational culture. Originality/value – The main contribution of this paper is in looking at cross-national differences in worker satisfaction and its determinants cross-nationally over a 16-year period. Additionally, the paper develops and justifies the use of a new construct, PSM-fit, as an important component to understanding job satisfaction.

A Short Study of Iranian Organizations' Needs in the Area of Globalization: Opportunities, Challenges and Relative Advantages

Mohammad R. Noruzi et al. — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:14:46 PDT

Globalization and liberalization in developing countries is a lengthy process that has been a long time in the making. Some countries have accepted the reality of globalization while other undeveloped nations have yet to fully embrace this shift. For some, this has been in part due to fears among some underdeveloped nations that embracing globalization and becoming increasingly connected to a global economic network would put them in a bad position with relation to other powerful countries and multinational firms. Iran is an example of a developing country trying to be competitive in an increasingly global economy. The aim of this paper is to identify the needs for Iran and Iranian organizations in the process of globalization, focusing on opportunities, challenges, relative advantages and practical guides.

Opportunities, Challenges and Employment Relative Advantages in the Cooperative Sector in Iran

Mohammad R. Noruzi et al. — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:25:20 PDT

Arguably, the cooperative sector is one of the most important sectors in the structure of a country and its government. Furthermore, as Iran is actively seeking to develop cooperatives in different sectors such as agricultural, construction, sales and export, cooperatives in the Iranian context are important to study. This paper aims to study the opportunities, challenges and employment advantages in the cooperative sector in Iran.

The Impact of Microfinance Programmes on Poverty Reduction

Jonathan H. Westover — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:52:13 PDT

In this paper I will provide a brief overview of evidence from the existing literature on microfinance to show the current performance record of such programs and the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of such programs on reducing poverty. Furthermore, I will discuss some criticisms of the microfinance approach to eradicating poverty and provide a critique of the methodological foundation of microfinance as a whole, as well as the increased number of impact studies that have been conducted in recent years. Finally, I will draw several conclusions on the appropriateness and effectiveness of microfinance programs in addressing the problem of world poverty, while providing several suggestions for future research directions in this developing field.

Global Economic Shifts Impacting the Perceived Importance of Various Intrinsic and Extrinsic Job Characteristics and Overall Job Satisfaction

Jonathan H. Westover — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:40:06 PDT

In this research, I apply and extend Handel’s (2005) Post and Neo-Fordist framework for understanding job characteristics and job satisfaction in the context of a changing global environment. Prior research has indicated that the nature of work has changed dramatically in recent years in response to economic shifts and an increasingly global economy. However, there is little agreement on whether the overall quality of work has improved or declined over that period. Furthermore, less is known about changes in job satisfaction and its various indicators over time, based on how the workers feel and the perceived importance those workers place on each of those indicators. Finally, even less is known about the overall comparative quality of work and job satisfaction across the global economy. In this study I use non-panel longitudinal data from the International Social Survey Program (Work Orientations I and II: 1989 and 1997) to conduct a descriptive comparative analysis of job quality and job satisfaction in relation to the differing theoretical predictions of Post-Fordist and Neo-Fordist paradigms and a changing global economy.

“Gendered” Perceptions: Job Satisfaction and Gender Differences in the Workplace

Jonathan H. Westover — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:06:03 PDT

There is a large cross-disciplinary research literature on gender and work, and it continues to grow. An ongoing point of debate is how are work satisfaction perceptions likely to be “gendered”? What factors seem to lie behind these gendered perceptions? For example, how do gender-specific expectations and stereotypes, gender segregation in work and occupations, the gender wage gap, and, importantly, gender-based inequity in the work of social reproduction bear on gender differences in work satisfaction, according to the literature. This article will address these questions and provide an overview of the historical and future directions of academic inquiry into “gendered” differences in the workplace that drive worker job satisfaction.

IHRM and Effective Global Staffing Systems in the Iranian Context: An Exploration of Staffing Roles for HR Managers in Iranian Organizations and other MNC's

Mohammad R. Noruzi et al. — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:51:25 PDT

The creation of global HR systems remains a real challenge for organizations fighting to stay competitive in a globalized marketplace” (Wiechmann & et al, 2003, p.71). In addressing this ongoing “challenge,” in this paper we first examine important global staffing issues and the practices that should be implemented to create a successful international global staffing strategy. Second, we paint a picture of the economic and labor conditions of Iran within a broader global marketplace. Finally, we specifically review Iranian HR managers' challenges in staffing, as well as identify the core and unique competencies necessary for carrying out effective Iranian domestic and international staffing strategies within an increasingly globalized economy.

State Welfare Provisions and Cross-National Differences in Work Quality and Job Satisfaction

Jonathan H. Westover — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:24:36 PDT

Scholars are increasingly recognizing that overall job satisfaction/job quality assessments are embedded in a context that is far wider than any particular place of employment or employer. Accordingly, one new area of research revolves around the role played by the state. One aspect of the state that is arguably at the heart of providing a context for worker satisfaction is welfare state provisions. This article explores how the comparative welfare state literature might bear upon ongoing job satisfaction research, first identifying and explaining the foundations of the comparative welfare state literature, and then updating it to reflect key changes in social welfare provisions since Epsing-Anderson’s (1990) and Huber and Stephens’ (2001) seminal works. Finally, this article identifies which social welfare provisions will be most relevant to worker satisfaction and should be considered in ongoing research efforts.