Christa L. Wilkin

Employment equity in Canada and South Africa: a comparative review

The South African Government has sought to redress the historical legacy of workplace discrimination by introducing the Employment Equity Act (1998), which was largely modeled on the Canadian Employment Equity Act. Although there is very little comparative information between South Africa and Canada, we fill this gap by reviewing the literature in both countries, highlighting common features of the legislation, discussing the effectiveness of legislation in both countries as well as the progress made by the designated groups covered by the legislation. This paper provides a background on the rationale for employment equity and associated human resource management policies in both Canada and South Africa. The analysis is largely based on institutional theories of organizations. Our evaluation provides overall conclusions for policy makers and organizational leaders, taking into consideration socio-historical, political, and demographic differences between the jurisdictions. Issues include top management commitment, organizational culture, Black economic empowerment, and diversity policies and practice.

Understanding Underemployment Among Contingent Workers

Contingent workers, who do not have ongoing employment with a single organization, are an increasingly important component of the workforce in many countries (e.g., Batt, Holman, & Holtgrewe, 2009; De Cuyper et al., 2008; Mauno, Kinnunen, Makikangas, & Natti, 2005). The proportion of workers with contingent work arrangements, alternatively known as fixed-term contracts, precarious work arrangements, or nonstandard employment contracts, are likely to increase, because these types of contracts present several advantages to employers.

Who let the dogs in? A look at pet-friendly workplaces

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the pet-friendliness trend, because despite its growth, there has been little research on the benefits and potential risks of pet-friendly workplaces. Design/methodology/approach – A general review is provided on pet ownership figures in North America and the benefits and drawbacks of pet ownership. Pet-friendly policies and practices are described, highlighting their potentially positive impact on well-being and performance. Possible concerns with pet-friendly workplaces are examined. The paper offers recommendations for organizations that are potentially interested in becoming pet-friendly. Findings – Many households in North America have pets that are considered genuine members of the family. As a result, workplaces are increasingly becoming “pet-friendly” by instituting policies that are sensitive to pet ownership. The scope of pet-friendly policies and practices ranges from simple to more complex measures. Adopting these measures can re...

Do I Look Like Someone Who Cares? Recruiters’ Ratings of Applicants’ Paid and Volunteer Experience

Despite the widespread use of resumes, little is known about whether recruiters value applicants’ volunteer experience, and if they value some kinds of volunteer experience more than others. Based on a sample of recruiters (n=135) who each rated a series of resumes with different amounts and types of paid and volunteer experience, our results suggest that recruiters prefer resumes with relevant experience, and resumes with a combination of volunteer and paid experience. Our results did not suggest significant differences in the ratings given to paid or volunteer experience. We discuss the implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners, with specific advice for human resource professionals and applicants.

Where Technologies Collide: A Technology Integration Model

Technology is transforming teaching in ways that break down classroom walls while improving course quality and capitalizing on educators’ creativity. Rather than using technology in an ad hoc way, technology needs to fit the content and pedagogical style of the teacher.Our chapter builds on the extant literature on the necessary knowledge to integrate content, pedagogy, and technology (TPACK) in the classroom. We propose a comprehensive model that outlines the factors that lead to the development of TPACK, the relationship between TPACK and the use of technology, and outcomes gleaned from technology-enhanced learning.Our proposed model is an important first step to considering the precursors and outcomes of TPACK, which will need to be validated empirically. We extend the TPACK framework by identifying the predictors of TPACK such as teacher self-efficacy, experience with technology, and student factors. We argue that the extent to which educators develop their TPACK and use technology is bound by contextual factors such as organizational culture, resources, and student characteristics. Without considering the extensions that are identified in the Technology Integration Model, the linkages between TPACK and desirable outcomes (e.g., student engagement) are unclear. As a result, our proposed model has implications for educators and institutions alike.

Teaming up with temps: the impact of temporary workers on team social networks and effectiveness

ABSTRACT Temporary workers offer immediate benefits to the bottom line; yet, it is unclear how incorporating temporary workers into teams affects how they function. We apply social identity theory to propose that temporary workers significantly reduce individual- and team-level networks and team effectiveness but that commitment to the leader and intergroup competition can help temporary and permanent employees work together more effectively. Using a sample of employees nested in teams (Study 1, n = 312), we found that status differences affected member interactions resulting in sparser advice and friendship networks for temporary workers compared to their permanent counterparts. At the team level (Study 2, n = 58), these team member differences or contract diversity impacted team functioning through advice networks, such that, teams with greater contract diversity had sparser networks and were less effective. Further, commitment to the leader was found to moderate the negative impact of contract diversity on advice and friendship network density. With the increasing use of temporary worker and the prevalent use of teams, these findings have broader implications for HR functions and present possible avenues to mitigate the negative consequences of temporary workers.

Under Pressure: Examining the Mediating Role of Discrete Emotions between Job Conditions and Well-being

Abstract Recent years have seen an explosion in the study of emotions in organizations, and although emotions play a central role in the job stress process, their role is largely neglected in empirical stressor–strain studies. Our chapter aims to build consensus in the literature by showing that discrete emotions provide a mechanism through which stressors exert their impact on well-being. By examining a larger domain of stressors, emotions, and well-being, we begin to develop and expand upon the nomological network of emotions. In an effort to build on the job demands–resources (JD-R) model, which includes both job demands (i.e., negative stimuli such as time pressure) and resources (i.e., positive stimuli such as autonomy), we include both negative and positive discrete emotions with the expectation that negative emotions will generally be linked to demands and positive emotions will be linked to resources. We also propose that there may be circumstances where demands trigger negative discrete emotions and lead to greater experienced strain, and conversely, where resources arouse positive discrete emotions, which would positively affect well-being. The model in our chapter sheds light on how discrete emotions have different antecedents (i.e., job demands and resources) and outcomes (e.g., satisfaction, burnout, performance), and as such, respond to calls for research on this topic. Our findings will be of particular interest to organizations where employees can be trained to manage their emotions to reduce the strain associated with job stressors.