This working paper investigates why training investments, essential for productivity, often suffer from low participation rates and insufficient worker engagement. It addresses a gap in existing literature by examining how middle managers influence the execution of centrally designed training programs. The study uses detailed administrative data from three large firms in Latin America: an Argentinian […]
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There is a consensus that breaks during working hours can help employees recover from the stress and fatigue of work and thus improve their well-being and performance. A team of Canada-based scholars empirically tested this assumption by reviewing the full range of research in this area, pulling from multiple disciplines. The scope of their review […]
Read More… from How Work Breaks Boost Employee Well-being and Work Performance
People are more engaged in their work and more committed to their organizations if they find their work meaningful that is, if their work gives them a sense that they are contributing to something bigger than themselves. Meaningfulness is subjective: It is up to the individuals to determine if they believe their work has meaning. […]
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to recede, should companies that had let employees work from home during the pandemic call them back to the office? Many managers argue that employees in the office are more productive and that working from home reduces firm performance. Many employees counter that eliminating commutes and giving […]
Read More… from Productivity or Control? What Truly Motivates Return-to-Office Mandates
According to numerous social science theories. emotions arise based on the discrepancies between what we want and what we have. If we have or achieve what we want, then we feel positive emotions for example, if our favorite sports team wins an important game. If, on the other hand, we don’t achieve or don’t have […]
The global pandemic left companies with no choice except for essential professions, where employees had to work from home. Abrupt and comprehensive, the workplace disruption caused by COVID-19 left managers in charge of a remote workforce for the first time in their careers. The shutdown of schools only added to the disruption for employees with […]
Read More… from More Managers See Benefits of Flexible Working Arrangements
Psychological safety—the belief that it is safe to take interpersonal risks within a group—is recognized as a key attribute of high-performance teams. Research has shown that when team members are afraid to share their views, ask for feedback, or take risks, the team will be less effective. Psychological safety is conceptualized as a shared belief—that […]
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A wide-ranging overview of related psychological studies reveals that, without exception, bad has a greater impact than good, no matter the context. Here is some of the evidence presented by the researchers: Reacting to Events: Studies demonstrate that a major negative event has a lasting impact on an individual; a major positive event results in […]
One often-overlooked element of an organization’s success is sharing of advice— information with guidance or recommendations. Advice is clearly beneficial to the individuals receiving the advice, who can use it and learn from it, and thus improve their performance; as such, advice is also clearly beneficial to the organization’s performance as whole. Yet many employees […]
Read More… from Why Employees Are Suspicious of Unsolicited Advice
CEOs and corporate leaders come from diverse backgrounds, with a broad range of childhood experiences. While some CEOs were raised in affluent families, with all the privileges and opportunities that such an upbringing offers, other CEOs had difficult childhoods marked by poverty and challenging family situations. A team of researchers studying the impact of different […]
Read More… from Are Working Class CEOs Less Worried about Employee Welfare?
