A. Girardi

Job design, opportunities for skill utilization, and intrinsic job satisfaction

Arguably, job designs that provide for high levels of employee control also provide increased opportunities for the development and exercise of skill. Perceived skill utilization has consistently been found to be amongst the strongest predictors of job-related affective well-being, yet is frequently neglected in studies of work redesign. In this article, a theoretical framework linking the key job characteristics of perceived control and perceived cognitive demand to perceived skill utilization and intrinsic job satisfaction is presented. Results from one cross-sectional study and one longitudinal study are reported that support the mediational influence of perceived skill utilization on the perceived job control – job satisfaction relationship only. The relationship between perceived job demand and perceived skill utilization was mixed but no mediating effect was evident. It is argued that the level of both perceived demand and perceived control dictates the nature of the joint influence of both job characteristics on perceived skill utilization and work attitudes such as job satisfaction.

The validation of a use innovativeness scale

Purpose – To validate a measure of use innovativeness, or how existing products are used in a novel and innovative manner. The measure has practical significance for innovation research as it consists of only nine items as opposed to the original 44. The use innovativeness measure derived from research predicts acceptance of new technology (in this case computer technology) and could be adapted to other fields of innovation research.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted and structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyse the data.Findings – Evidence for a unidimensional measure of use innovativeness is provided by structural equation modelling. The nine‐item measure has fewer items than the original 44‐item measure developed by Price and Ridgway (1983) Price and Ridgway and consists of the items of multiple use and creative reuse. The measure was found to be positively correlated with innovativeness and opinion leadership and the acceptance of new information technology. The c...

Intellectual Capital: More Than the Interaction of Competence x Commitment

Ulrich (1998) has suggested that intellectual capital is a product of competence and commitment. This broad proposition, though intuitively appealing, does not identify theoretical links between these variables, and has little empirical foundation. This paper draws on organisational behaviour theory to propose a model that specifies mechanisms, intermediate linkages and boundary conditions that predict intellectual capital. In doing so, we respond to a recent call for research that is specific about human resource management-firm effectiveness relationships. Moderated relationships between competence, commitment and control are proposed as predictors of intellectual capital. Implications for future theory and practice are highlighted.

Perceived risk and trust as antecedents of online purchasing behavior in the USA gemstone industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to seek to investigate the impact that perceived risk and trust have on online purchasing behavior, in particular the nature of purchasing associations within the expensive, complex, high risk and credence products such as gemstones.Design/methodology/approach – An online survey of purchases of Thai gemstones was used to collect the data. Partial Least Squares was used to test the conceptual model of the study.Findings – The results of this study suggest that the type of internet marketing strategy used by the seller (the place strategy) and the buyers privacy and security practices influence a buyers perceived risk to purchase gemstones online. Furthermore, the study showed that perceived risk reduces trust and perceived risk reduces online purchases.Research limitations/implications – The implications of these results are that privacy and security concerns of online buyers must be addressed in order to reduce perceived risk and thereby increase trust which is fun...

A Systematic Literature Review of Teamwork Pedagogy in Higher Education

Teamwork pedagogy has received considerable attention across a wide range of academic literature. Yet employers continue to argue that universities need to do more to better prepare graduates to work in team-based environments. Grounded in the social constructivist paradigm, this article uses a two-phase systematic literature review methodology to explore the conditions and influences affording or constraining teamwork pedagogy. A complementary thematic analysis of the articles revealed two broad themes: pedagogy and transaction costs. In almost all 57 articles, a range of factors influencing teamwork pedagogy were elaborated. Temporal, fiscal, and human resource transaction costs were identified as constraints in the application of teamwork pedagogy. An overlap of educator, student, and institutional factors are discussed as contributing to the transaction costs of implementing process-oriented teamwork pedagogy. However, the interdependent interactions among educators and students, within and across institutions, remained largely underexplored and are presented as part of a future research agenda.

Incorporating online teaching in an introductory pharmaceutical practice course: a study of student perceptions within an Australian University

Objective To examine student perceptions regarding online lectures and quizzes undertaken during a pharmaceutical practice course for first year undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at an Australian University. Methods The University uses a standard instrument to collect feedback from students regarding unit satisfaction. Data were collected for three different teaching modalities: traditional face-to-face, online and partially online. Results Descriptive statistics support that, from a students perspective, partial online delivery is the preferred teaching methodology for an introductory pharmaceutical practice unit. Conclusions This study has served to highlight that while there are a few points of significant difference between traditional and online teaching and learning, a combination of the two provides a reasonable avenue for teaching exploration. This result has implications for teaching practice generally, and within the pharmacy discipline, specifically.