This paper assesses the impact of perceived HRM practices on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and whether leader membership exchange (LMX) mediates this relationship. The required research data were retrieved from four different departments within a logistics and supply chain management organisation. The results show that there is a significant relationship between the HRM practices as perceived by a subordinate and their level of organisational citizenship behaviour. The relationship that subordinates have with their frontline manager (LMX) acts as a significant mediator. In the final section, of this paper the findings are discussed and recommendations for future research and practical implications are given.
This text is structured as follows. Section 1 concerns the background to this public lecture: the fact that social participation is becoming increasingly important in our society. This is evident, for example, from the way we are evolving from a protective welfare state into an activational, participative society. This development has consequences for the social sector and therefore also for the professionals who work in it. Social work professionals are not necessarily expected to identify or solve participation problems; they are seen as intermediaries who enable citizens to take responsibility themselves. Social work professionals are therefore expected to provide the individual applicant with less direct support and to focus more on strengthening the social networks of people and the social contexts in which they find themselves. Section 2 connects sections 1 and 3, but may also be read independently. It is about the fact that social work professionals are not yet in the habit of providing systematic insight into the results of their actions, while policy makers, for example, are increasingly looking to them precisely for this. First of all, I set out the reasons why it is so important to make the products of their interventions more visible, not only to policy makers, but also to social work professionals themselves and to the customers/citizens who depend on them. Secondly, I set out how the results of social interventions can be made more visible than they are at present; and what research can contribute. In this, I advocate a change in thinking: from thinking in terms of the evidence to thinking in terms of the evident. This argument forms the basis of the type of research that is being taken up from within the research group. In section 3, I describe a number of research projects that will be conducted during my tenure. I also set out the main proposition of this address, which states that social work professionals should do more with the knowledge that peoples behaviour is determined to a significant degree by contexts. In particular, social contexts could play a bigger role in promoting citizen participation. At present, social work professionals normally intervene directly in peoples behaviour, such as with therapies for combating problem behaviour. Interventions in a broader, social, context are rare. Why is this? And couldnt citizen participation be more effectively promoted by these means than through direct behavioural interventions? I put forward four propositions in this regard, and explain each of them in reference to one of the current research projects within the research group. With this, in combination with the general outlines of the research presented in section 2, I hope to provide a clear and inspiring overview of the research that will be carried out within the research group in the coming years. Finally, in section 4, I will discuss the significance of the research group to the faculty of Society and Law at Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, and to parties outside of Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences.
Background The global nursing shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a drastic reorganization in nursing practices. Work routines, the composition of teams and subsequently mundane nursing practices were all altered to sustain the accessibility and quality of care. These dramatic changes demanded a reshaping of the nurses’ work environment. The aim of this study was to explore how nurses reshaped their work environment in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A descriptive study comprising 26 semi-structured interviews conducted in a large Dutch teaching hospital between June and September 2020. Participants were nurses (including intensive care unit nurses), outpatient clinic assistants, nurse managers, and management (including one member of the Nurse Practice Council). The interviews were analysed with open, axial, and selective coding. Results We identified five themes: 1) the Nursing Staff Deployment Plan created new micro-teams with complementary roles to meet the care needs of COVID-19 infected patients; 2) nurse-led adaptations effectively managed the increased workload, thereby ensuring the quality of care; 3) continuous professional development ensured adequate competence levels for all roles; 4) interprofessional collaboration resulted in experienced solidarity, a positive atmosphere, and increased autonomy for nurses; and, 5) supportive managers reduced nurses’ stress and improved work conditions. Conclusions This study showed that nurses positively reshaped their work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. They contributed to innovative solutions in an environment of equal interprofessional collaboration, which led to greater respect for their knowledge and competencies, enhanced their autonomy and improved management support.
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Wildlife crime is an important driver of biodiversity loss and disrupts the social and economic activities of local communities. During the last decade, poaching of charismatic megafauna, such as elephant and rhino, has increased strongly, driving these species to the brink of extinction. Early detection of poachers will strengthen the necessary law enforcement of park rangers in their battle against poaching. Internationally, innovative, high tech solutions are sought after to prevent poaching, such as wireless sensor networks where animals function as sensors. Movement of individuals of widely abundant, non-threatened wildlife species, for example, can be remotely monitored ‘real time’ using GPS-sensors. Deviations in movement of these species can be used to indicate the presence of poachers and prevent poaching. However, the discriminative power of the present movement sensor networks is limited. Recent advancements in biosensors led to the development of instruments that can remotely measure animal behaviour and physiology. These biosensors contribute to the sensitivity and specificity of such early warning system. Moreover, miniaturization and low cost production of sensors have increased the possibilities to measure multiple animals in a herd at the same time. Incorporating data about within-herd spatial position, group size and group composition will improve the successful detection of poachers. Our objective is to develop a wireless network of multiple sensors for sensing alarm responses of ungulate herds to prevent poaching of rhinos and elephants.
Meaningful applications in education, healthcare and media. The first spearhead concerns the use of virtual humans (AI-driven, digital people) in various sectors of society such as education, healthcare and media. The shortages of labour affect all sectors and the use of AI and virtual humans can contribute to solutions. Think of a virtual 'buddy' for lonely elderly people, a virtual teacher for education and training of digital coaches and assistants. But also of serious games that measure or influence behaviour and digital twins (digital copies of objects, systems or plans) for better decision-making. The second pillar of the project focuses on the further growth of the region as an innovation district. To this end, collaborations between knowledge institutions, organisations and companies established in the Spoorzone are stimulated. The result is that (young) talent is committed to the region; also one of the objectives of the Regio Deal Midden-Brabant.Societal issueCombating a digital divide so that the (digital) society remains accessible and fair for everyone - even if you are not very technically minded - is also a spearhead. Benefit for societyBy developing the innovation district for society, we create a magnet function for:Socially involved experts (knowledge institutions), companies, social organizations, citizens and investors. Students/young talent with innovative power who are challenged to new solutions and entrepreneurship. Companies that want to bring new solutions to the market, that invest in R&D and want to establish themselves close to talent;o Attractive jobs in the companies mentioned so that young talent commits to the region and can “work for the best brands” there.In addition to structural reinforcement by the innovation district, the technology of virtual humans is being researched in the practice of health, care, welfare, education and media. The concrete projects in this proposal are already achieving initial results in this area; applications that meet social needs or that provide social solutions.
