Browsing by Author "Tootell B"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    A System Dynamics Perspective on Workplace Spirituality and Employee Behavior
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-01) Iqbal S; Bureš V; Zanker M; Abdullah M; Tootell B
    Purpose: This paper seeks to explore the influence of workplace spirituality on employee behavior within organizational settings. Design: Systems thinking is used to explore various interrelated concepts of workplace spirituality (WPS). This study delves into the intricate interactions between WPS and its impact on employee behavior. By highlighting the significance of WPS, the research establishes a foundation for fostering innovation and creativity, facilitating meaningful connections among employees within organizations. Additionally, WPS plays a crucial role in reducing workplace incivility. Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) as part of a systems thinking approach are utilized to visually depict the complex interplay of variables and feedback loops within organizations, offering insights into polarities and presenting a long-term perspective on how spiritual initiatives affect the workplace. Results: The findings indicate that WPS assists employees in comprehending their roles, enhancing productivity, increasing motivation, and fostering job satisfaction. Furthermore, WPS contributes to improved employee engagement, satisfaction, and decision-making. Significance: The research underscores the explicit involvement of employees in achieving favorable outcomes and enhances our understanding of the perceptions held by employers and employees regarding their roles and engagement. The study suggests that enhancing employees’ performance is achievable in workplaces where individuals comprehend their roles and align them with the job objectives. Novelty: This paper is unique in two aspects. Firstly, it strives to integrate the fragmented and diverse literature on the outcomes of WPS using a systems thinking approach. Secondly, it raises awareness, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan, regarding the importance of incorporating organizational capabilities into organizational practices.
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    Cross-cultural measurement validation: an analysis of dissent, workplace freedom of speech, and perceived immediacy
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-03-12) Croucher SM; Kelly S; Ashwell D; Condon S; Tootell B
    Croucher and Kelly (2019) laid out guidelines to develop measures that can be used across cultures. The present study provides support for their guidelines, indicating that pancultural measurements cannot be behavioral and should not include unnecessary contexts; however, they should be worded as simplistically as possible. This study utilizes measures of dissent, perceived immediacy, and workplace freedom of speech in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Only the perceived immediacy measure, which follows Croucher and Kelly’s (2019) guidelines, maintained internal consistency.
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    Employee Experiences and Productivity in Flexible Work Arrangements: A Job Demands–Resources Model Analysis from New Zealand
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-09-06) Crooney L; Tootell B; Scott J
    Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between flexible working arrangements (FWAs), employee experiences (EEs), and perceived productivity (PP) in the context of New Zealand employees. The study aims to understand how opportunities and challenges within FWAs impact employee productivity, utilising the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model as a theoretical framework. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted with 176 employees who transitioned from traditional office settings to FWAs. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring work demand, autonomy, employee experiences, and perceived productivity. The analysis involved correlational and moderated regression techniques to assess the relationships between the variables. Findings: The study found that positive employee experiences (expressed as opportunities) are significantly associated with higher perceived productivity (r = 0.610, p < 0.001), while negative experiences (expressed as challenges) are associated with lower perceived productivity (r = 0.515, p < 0.001). Moreover, management strategies were found to moderate these relationships, further influencing perceived productivity. Originality: This research contributes to the understanding of how FWAs, when effectively managed, can enhance employee productivity by fostering positive experiences. It also highlights the importance of addressing challenges to mitigate negative impacts on productivity. The use of the JD-R model offers a novel approach to exploring these dynamics in the context of FWAs. Practical and social implications: Organisations can enhance productivity by focusing on management strategies that amplify positive employee experiences and reduce challenges within FWAs. Effective FWAs can improve work–life balance, employee wellbeing, and organisational commitment, contributing to a more satisfied and productive workforce.
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    Enabling Rural Telehealth for Older Adults in Underserved Rural Communities: Focus Group Study
    (JMIR Publications, 2022-11-04) Hunter I; Lockhart C; Rao V; Tootell B; Wong S
    Background: Telehealth is often suggested to improve access to health care and has had significant publicity worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, limited studies have examined the telehealth needs of underserved populations such as rural communities. Objective: This study aims to investigate enablers for telehealth use in underserved rural populations to improve access to health care for rural older adults. Methods: In total, 7 focus group discussions and 13 individual interviews were held across 4 diverse underserved rural communities. A total of 98 adults aged ≥55 years participated. The participants were asked whether they had used telehealth, how they saw their community’s health service needs evolving, how telehealth might help provide these services, and how they perceived barriers to and enablers of telehealth for older adults in rural communities. Focus group transcripts were thematically analyzed. Results: The term telehealth was not initially understood by many participants and required an explanation. Those who had used telehealth reported positive experiences (time and cost savings) and were likely to use telehealth again. A total of 2 main themes were identified through an equity lens. The first theme was trust, with 3 subthemes—trust in the telehealth technology, trust in the user (consumer and health provider), and trust in the health system. Having access to reliable and affordable internet connectivity and digital devices was a key enabler for telehealth use. Most rural areas had intermittent and unreliable internet connectivity. Another key enabler is easy access to user support. Trust in the health system focused on waiting times, lack of and/or delayed communication and coordination, and cost. The second theme was choice, with 3 subthemes—health service access, consultation type, and telehealth deployment. Access to health services through telehealth needs to be culturally appropriate and enable access to currently limited or absent services such as mental health and specialist services. Accessing specialist care through telehealth was extremely popular, although some participants preferred to be seen in person. A major enabler for telehealth was telehealth deployment by a fixed community hub or on a mobile bus, with support available, particularly when combined with non–health-related services such as internet banking. Conclusions: Overall, participants were keen on the idea of telehealth. Several barriers and enablers were identified, particularly trust and choice. The term telehealth is not well understood. The unreliable and expensive connectivity options available to rural communities have limited telehealth experience to phone or patient portal use for those with connectivity. Having the opportunity to try telehealth, particularly by using video, would increase the understanding and acceptance of telehealth. This study highlights that local rural communities need to be involved in designing telehealth services within their communities.
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    Exploring disputed acts of bullying: A study of manager perceptions in New Zealand
    (Cambridge University Press in association with Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, 2025-07-07) Tootell B; Croucher S; Cullinane J; Ashwell D; Ratten V
    Workplace bullying is a persistent issue despite extensive research, with most studies focusing on targets rather than managerial perspectives. This study explores how New Zealand managers conceptualize workplace bullying, shedding light on cultural and organizational influences. While bullying affects roughly one in 10 New Zealand workers, definitions remain inconsistent, complicating prevention and response efforts. This research investigates whether managers distinguish bullying from other forms of conflict and aggression, and how their views align with regulatory definitions such as those from WorkSafe New Zealand. A randomized Qualtrics panel of 316 managers completed an anonymous online survey, including open-ended questions. Responses were analysed using six-phase thematic analysis, enabling candid reflection and rich insights into bullying behaviours, impacts, and organizational dynamics. The findings highlight the importance of understanding bullying within its communication context and suggest that clearer, less stigmatized definitions may support more effective reporting and intervention by managers.
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    Perceptions of sponsoring as a career advancement tool for women: Are they different in Europe?
    (Oxford Brookes University, 2018-02-01) Bhide V; Tootell B
    The current understanding of sponsoring as an impactful tool for the career advancement of women is based on predominantly US based research. There is a lack of insight into the perceptions of sponsoring outside of the US, despite evidence that such differences may exist. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of sponsoring in Europe utilising interviews with 11 participants. Findings draw attention to how sponsoring is understood and valued by the participants in comparison with mentoring. The findings expand the existing body of sponsoring literature, reveal some previously unexplored issues, open up areas of possible research and present implications for practice.
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    Reality vs expectations: An exploratory study of New Zealand nurses' perceptions of HR measures
    (13/03/2018) Tretiakov A; Hunter I; Tootell B; Wilson S; Toulson P
    When nurses believe that human resources (HR) measures used to record data describing their work are inappropriate, it may result in low engagement in the measurement process and in higher on-the-job stress, and it may be indicative of problems in the HR system. The purpose of the present study is to explore nurses' views on which HR measures are most appropriate for use in the healthcare sector and their perceptions of the current practice at their organisations. A cross-sectional survey of registered nurses in New Zealand was conducted, resulting in N=916. The respondents rated commonly used HR measures for importance and indicated whether they are used in their organisations. The data were analysed by using graphical representations of descriptive statistics to identify patterns in the relationship between perceived importance and perceived use of HR measures. Patient satisfaction and nurses' competencies measures were seen as both highly important and in use. However, a group of measures related to nurses' job satisfaction and empowerment stood out as, from nurses' perspectives, highly important but relatively unused. The results suggest that in healthcare organisations in New Zealand there is a divergence between nurses' ideas about the best HR measurement practice and their perceptions of the current practice. We argue that to address the underlying causes of the divergence and to mitigate its negative effects, healthcare organisations should involve nurses in making decisions regarding the use of HR measures.
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    SME employee perceptions about future work–life flexibility: findings from New Zealand
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2025-06-17) Scott J; Macpherson W; Tootell B; Kobayashi K; Kelly S
    Employees of New Zealand small and medium enterprises (SMEs) desire more work–life flexibility and are seeking change in the workplace. Applying institutional theory and the related concept of institutional work as our theoretical frame, we explored employee perceptions about working arrangements and found a substantial desire for change. Specifically, 71% of 619 employees surveyed wanted more work–life flexibility, with the research highlighting three constructs that contribute to employee perceptions about their work and nonwork interface: working pattern control, job flexibility, and a sense of being respected. The findings are significant and novel as they illustrate a renewed desire on the part of employees to change work arrangement practices in response to recent lived experiences. Given these demands for flexibility are now being driven from an employee rather than employer perspective, this could lead to the development of new normative expectations that would place pressure on SMEs to change work arrangements in response to employees’ active agency. In current high-employment environments, employee flexibility is likely to facilitate a recruitment and retention advantage, and each of the identified constructs will potentially play a fundamental major role in employee–employer relationships.