Montserrat Yepes-Baldó

Quality Indicators: Developing "MOOCs" in the European Higher Education Area.

Abstract The objective of this research is to design an integrated system of evaluation of the quality of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) taking into account the features of this type of courses. The criteria included in the evaluation of the quality of e-learning training in a broad sense are considered, and specifically those developed for the MOOCs. Using a quantitative, descriptive and sectional design, a team of experts have valued those indicators proposed by the scientific literature. To do this, eight courses, focusing on the field of entrepreneurship and innovation, were selected. Most of the analysed courses meet designated quality criteria by having a clear and organized academic structure. In addition, each course states clearly the timing and hours of dedication by the learner. However, only a few courses do that on the open Internet and on their own academic institutions’ websites. None of the MOOCs establishes the admission requirements. The main contribution of the current research is that it gives MOOC developers some quality indicators, related to course design and platform, to better plan their applied design and implementation, which has a decisive positive impact on the educational quality of such e-learning platforms.

Job crafting, employee well-being, and quality of care

The main objective is to study the effects of job crafting activities of elder care and nursing home employees on their perceived well-being and quality of care in two European countries, Spain and Sweden. The Job Crafting, the General Health, and the Quality of Care questionnaires were administered to 530 employees. Correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. Results confirm the effects of job crafting on quality of care (r = .291, p < .01; β = .261, p < .01; ΔR2 = .065, p < .01) and employees’ well-being (r = .201, p < .01; β = .171, p < .01; ΔR2 = .028, p < .01). A positive linear relationship was found between job crafting and well-being in Spain and Sweden and with quality of care in Spain. On the contrary, in Sweden, the relationship between job crafting and well-being was not linear. Job crafting contributes significantly to employees’ and residents’ well-being. Management should promote job crafting to co-create meaningful and productive work. Cultural effects are proposed to explain the differences found.

Labour inclusion of people with disabilities in Spain: the effect of policies and human resource management systems

Abstract This research answered the question of which elements, linked to HR management, facilitate the labour inclusion of people with disabilities. We analysed the existence of policies in different organizations, and the interaction between these policies and the adaptation of the human resource management systems in order to archive effective labour inclusion. Spanish Human Resource managers answered a questionnaire theoretically based on the Human System Audit model. Results showed that the existence of a strategic plan for the normalization of disability in the work environment effectively leads to high levels of inclusion. This is especially relevant for those organizations that have not adapted the systems of training, professional development and internal communication to people with disabilities. The added value and newness of this research lies in bringing empirical evidence on the role of a strategic plan to normalize disability in the work environment, a policy with an internal- and external-focus, as a diversity strategy roadmap in the framework of an inclusive culture.

Relationship of health workers with their organization and work: a cross-cultural study

ABSTRACT We analyzed the differences, by Student’s t-test and ANOVA, between nurses and physicians from Portugal, Poland, Spain, and United Kingdom regarding their relationship with their work and organization. In total, 1,401 professionals answered the HSA-QHPR questionnaire. There are different levels of connection between physicians and nurses. The United Kingdom has the lowest levels of connection with the work while Portugal has the highest levels of relationship with the organization. The results provide guidelines for the development of policies and differential strategies aimed at improving the quality of healthcare service.

Expertons and uncertain averaging operators versus correlational approaches: A case study on corporate social responsibility and effectiveness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), work-life balance (WLB) and effectiveness by comparing a correlational approach, expertons method and uncertain averaging operators (uncertain average [UA], uncertain weighted average [UWA], uncertain probabilistic aggregation [UPA] and uncertain probabilistic weighted averaging [UPWA]). Design/methodology/approach Participants were 814 employees from two Chilean companies with different levels of development on CSR policies. The Survey work–home Interaction – Nijmegen for Spanish Speaking Countries and the balanced scorecard were used. Results showed differences between companies with different levels of CSR development on individual effectiveness and relations between WLB and individual effectiveness. Findings Expertons methodology and uncertain averaging operators allow more accurate results than correlational statistics. Originality/value Expertons method and uncertain averaging operators (UA, UWA, UPA and UPWA) are common in the field of economics and engineering but very innovative in the human resources research, allowing more accurate analyses of workers’ perceptions.

Interval Numbers Versus Correlational Approaches Analyzing Corporate Social Responsibility

Our purpose is to explore the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), work-life balance (WLB) and effectiveness comparing (a) a correlational approach, (b) expertons method, and (c) uncertain averaging operators (UA, UWA, UPA, and UPWA). These methodologies are common in the field of economics and engineering, but very innovative in the human resources research, allowing more accurate analyses of workers’ perceptions. The Survey Work-Home Interaction – NijmeGen (SWING -SSC) and the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) were used. Results showed differences between companies with different levels of CSR development on individual effectiveness, and relations between WLB and individual effectiveness. Expertons methodology and uncertain averaging operators allows more accurate results than correlational statistics.