If sound policy is to be made on the issue of marijuana in the workplace, all available empirical evidence about its impact on job performance should be utilized in the decision process. Although a substantial amount of relevant research has been done, the results published in journals in widely divergent fields, are not easily summarized and present no single, simple message for decision makers. Schwenk and Rhodes offer a unique review of this complex body of work and challenge the many highly publicized but scientifically unsound mythical numbers touted as supporting various policy options. The authors provide a clear and objective presentation to managers on how to evaluate the evidence for themselves and make sound decisions for their own organizations. Scrupulously unbiased in its choice of material, the book will be an essential resource for organizational and public policy makers, and for university students and their teachers.

The effect of marijuana on job performance has been widely accepted as harmful--but is it? Congress thought so, and in 1988, used productivity losses which it attributed to marijuana and other drugs to justify passage of legislation initiating a mandate for a drug-free workplace. Additional legislation expanding this mandate followed and a high percentage of large corporations and an increasing number of small businesses now expend scarce resources on anti-drug programs. Schwenk and Rhodes remain neutral in the debate over workplace drug policies, but argue that policy should be informed by empirical research on the impact of marijuana on job performance. Their book is both a challenge to the mythical numbers so often publicized as supporting a particular advocate's vested position, and a guide to both practitioners and scholars to help them evaluate the diverse body of existing evidence and the claims made by those committed to given policy positions.

Schwenk and Rhodes reprint examples of high quality research previously published in major journals in the fields of psychology, anthropology, economics and medicine. Reviewing and summarizing existing findings, the authors relate these findings to the decision situations faced by policy-makers in the private and public sectors. While the book refuses to endorse any decision outcome with regard to marijuana and the workplace, it makes strong recommendations about the DEGREESIprocesses DEGREESR that should be used in selecting those outcomes. It provides guidelines for evaluating policy-relevant social scientific evidence and discusses the role such evidence can and should play in policy-making. The book shows that contrary to widely held beliefs, very little evidence that the substance has a consistent negative effect on worker productivity. Though social science does not show that resources devoted to creating a drug-free workplace are likely to pay off economically, the authors stress that the implications of this fact for corporate and government decisions are not cut and dried, but depend on the decision rules and the policy goals selected by policy-makers. This book will be an essential tool for managers, scholars, and anyone trying to make sense of the complicated and confusing maze of data and arguments surrounding this divisive issue.

This book studies the motivation of crowdworkers to find out how to attract more people and reach a higher quality of outcomes. The book first proposes a taxonomy for studying the motivation of crowdworkers including the potential influencing factors, different types of motivation, and possible consequences and outcomes related to the motivation. Next, the CWMS questionnaire, an instrument for measuring the underlying motivation of crowdworkers is developed. It considers different dimensions of motivation suggested by the Self-Determination Theory of motivation which is a well-established and empirically validated psychological theory used in various domains. This instrument can be used to study the effect of platform and user characteristics on the general motivation of crowdworkers. Later, the task-specific motivation of crowdworkers is studied in detail: Influencing factors are investigated, subjective methods for measuring them are evaluated, a model for predicting worker's decision on taking a task is proposed, the relative importance of different factors for two populations of crowdworkers is studied, and finally, a model for predicting the expected workload (as one of the major influencing factors) given the task design is proposed.

A practical guide to balancing current and future staffing needs in a volatile economy. When the economy was booming, it was hard to find good people. Winning the talent war was a popular phrase, and those individuals with the right stuff could command hefty salaries and perks. When the economy crumbled, the headhunters were sent packing. Today, companies are starting to hire again, but instead of recruiting a group of fifty, they're hiring five. They're outsourcing and hiring temps. They're replacing lost staff rather than expanding. They're relying on reduced HR department sand in-house managers and staff to make critical staffing decisions. In this environment, good people are hard to find; the top performers are staying where they are, and it's the weak and marginal performers that make up most of the available talent pool. Talent Balancing draws from the author's 35 years in the field to present a fresh and practical approach to recruiting in today's volatile and uncertain environment. training, this book will help you navigate organisational politics, analyse current and future staffing needs, and execute a successful plan. Whether you are ramping up a new team or department or filling a temporary spot. Talent Balancing provides a wealth of insights and tools to ensure that your organisation meets both immediate and long-term goals. It introduces the concept of talent balancing - recruiting and hiring that balances both current and future needs; taps into timely trends, such as the impact of technology and outsourcing; and can be applied by entrepreneurs and managers in established companies, as well as by recruiters.

A simple yet comprehensive framework for hiring exceptional people and tying the hiring decision into the purpose and work of the organization. In clear-cut terms, the authors guide the reader through the procedures and sequences for applying the right hiring tools in the right ways for the right tasks.

This contributed volume explores and reveals the new developments, dynamics and recommendations for entrepreneurship education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Presenting papers by respected experts in the field, it shares essential insights on the status quo of entrepreneurial education and training programs, the characteristics and motivations of early stage entrepreneurs, and the regional framework conditions in MENA. The book closes with a bibliometric perspective on the trends in the entrepreneurship research and education being developed in MENA.

Can you imagine how rewarding it would be, each day, to truly enjoy going to work? Most people spend the better part of their waking hours in jobs they do not enjoy. The happiest, most productive employees are those who have either found a job they truly enjoy, or found ways to make their current jobs more enjoyable. If we can get more pleasure and satisfaction from our work time, it would immeasurably improve the quality ofour lives. For more than 30 years, authors Joan Goldsmith and Kenneth Cloke have worked with teams and employers to create positive work environments in which communication between all levels is respectful, creativity is encouraged and people are acknowledged and supported. Thank God It's Monday provides real-world examples and exercises to stimulate employees and employers into creating better work lives. Thank God It's Monday identifies 14 core values that will make any work more stimulating and satisfying, including: Inclusion of everyone; Celebration of diversity; Open and honest communication; Risk taking; Opportunities for personal growth; Thank God It's Monday will be valuable to employees seeking to increase satisfaction in their current jobs, displaced employees searching for the work situations that are best for them, and employers and organizational leaders looking to keep their best employees by creating energetic and vibrant workplaces. Thank God It's Monday provides scores of ready-to-use activities, worksheets and exercises that will help transform the workplace into a second home that everyone wants to return to each day.

"As the Division President for a major homebuilder that had his division close unexpectedly, it was a real shock to be back interviewing. Reading Secrets from a Body Broker was perfect timing for me. I cannot express how much the advice, and insight has helped me master my interviewing techniques, as a hiring manager and a job seeker. The book was a true reality check and changed my whole approach to interviewing. I utilized Suzanne's suggestions on my very next interviews. I now have multiple offers and I owe it all to her."

Gary Chronister

President

New Homes Development

"Great information A quick read, solid, frank and to the point. This is a great tool for any manager and also very useful information for anyone seeking new employment."

Dan Armstrong

Director of Purchasing

DR Horton

"No matter whether you are hiring or looking to get hired, Suzanne shares the kind of insight we all need to get it right "

Michael Gerald

Land Development Manager

Centex Homes A one stop education and an absolute must for all those who hire employees or seek employment themselves. Good solid information, easy to understand and implement. I would recommend this book for all professionals who find themselves involved in either side of the hiring process.

Gary C. Williams

Vice President, Project Management

SunCal Companies

In our increasingly competitive, uncertain, complex world marketplace, multinational companies, unions, and governments must rethink and adjust their human resource strategies and legislative policies again and again. Cooke and the contributors to this wide ranging volume provide case studies and original analyses of present and coming human resource issues and problems. Offering a balanced, objective understanding of what they are, they thus succeed in giving HR executives and public policymakers a way to devise more creative and workable coping strategies. Among the book's major points: MNCs usually underestimate the influence that differences in industrial relations systems, workplace cultures, and local resistance to certain HR policies can all have on their operations. Unions too often fail to develop effective transnational and inter-union strategies to better serve their memberships in other countries and cultures. And public policy makers are torn between policies meant to respond to a need for workplace efficiency, against other policies meant to promote worker equity. The book addresses these and other issues hitherto explored minimally or not at all and provides analytical, practical insights that have long-term generalizability and applicability. Unique in its depth of ideas representing a vast range of expertise, the book is a compelling addition to the literature on human resource management, and a necessary resource for executives at all levals in all types of global organizations.

The contributors examine, first, the foreign direct investment configuration strategies of multinationals, then the transnational diffusion of human resource and labor relations strategies. Among the topics they cover are, how MNCs choose to diffuse the policies of the domestic parent company into their foreign subsidiaries, or how they decide to adopt policies and practices that originate in the host countries. They take up the issues of organized labor's generally diminishing relative power in a rapidly changing global workplace, then focus on transnational collective bargaining strategies and sociopolitical action. Finally, by recognizing recent multilateral agreements governing workplaces across borders, the contributors are able to assess the European Union Directive on transnational works councils and the labor aspects and agreements of NAFTA.

The purpose of this book project is to analyze why the workplace is changing so rapidly, identify the enabling factors and understand what we can do to best prepare for the future. The analysis led to four significant factors which are all fundamental to the formation of the future world of work. They are the incredible enabling technologies, changing attitudes, workforce demographics and globalization. The rapid and irreversible coalescing of these factors is creating what is referred to in the book as, ""The Virtual World of Work or VWOW."" The book covers the changing workplace from the 1960s through to the present, and then looks to see what is emerging next and provides predictions for the future workplace. To assist the readers in tracking their progress, the book provides a segmentation of this time frame into four distinct stages. Each stage is identified by the capabilities specific to the majority of the worker force in each stage. As the work force transitions from one stage to the next, the accumulated enhancements or changes to who, how, where and when tasks are completed is explored.The book project introduces some original thinking and combines this with the knowledge and expertise from the leaders in this new field. The book is organized around five basic questions concerning the virtual world of work. The questions are: What is the Virtual World of Work? What Factors have Enabled the Virtual World of Work? Will the Virtual World of Work Continue? How will the Virtual World Work? How to Architect the Virtual World of Work? The book covers why the change is happening and how we can better plan for the future virtual world of work. Over 25 million workers in the U.S. work from home at least a few days per month. More and more workers are joining these virtual workers daily and the amount of time worked out of the traditional office is growing even more rapidly. There are literally millions of people who need the information in this book.

A team of interdisciplinary experts provides an up-to-date review of current theories, empirical research, and management strategies that will help organizations address workplace bullying through both prevention and intervention. Workplace bullying is a serious issue that can lead to anxiety, depression, substance abuse, absenteeism, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress syndrome. This book has a simple goal: to help employers see bullying-and stop it. It does that by providing organizations with best practices, management strategies for bullying prevention, and protocols for investigating bullying complaints. Part I of the book overviews workplace bullying, discussing incidence, psychological dimensions, and explanatory models. It looks at reasons bullies do what they do, at the difference between a tough boss and a bully, and at the cost of bullying for organizations. Equally important are the book's insights into the impact of bullying on employees. Everyday problems of employees targeted by bullies at work are illustrated, including the resulting psychological distress that can lead to suicide. Part II of the work focuses on prevention and coping and on legislation that protects employees, including Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Finally, to help both employers and employees, the book offers sample anti-bully policies and bully awareness training programs, and also lists organizations concerned with workplace bullying. Takes a lifespan developmental approach to understanding workplace bullying Offers specific recommendations for preventing workplace bullying Shares and addresses real-life stories Provides sample policies and investigation formats Features chapters written by noted scholars, human resource professionals, psychologists, and attorneys

With a particular focus on the British printing industry, this book tackles the ongoing issue of pay inequality and examines the challenges facing many women today. By analysing organisation processes within the workplace, the author considers the unequal allocation of power resources that generate and sustain women's invisibility and argues that women's power is often outflanked by that of their male colleagues. Written by a skilled academic with direct industry experience, this new book is an insightful read for those researching human resource management (HRM), women's studies and diversity, as well as trade union officials and policy-makers.

Rising life expectancy has led to the growth of the 'Sandwich Generation' - men and women who are caregivers to their children of varying ages as well as for one or both parents whilst still managing their own household and work responsibilities. This book considers both the strains and benefits of this position. Tackling a myriad of issues such as gender, parents and parents-in-law, ethnic differences, residential status, and developing changes in the caregiving relationship such as Alzheimer's or dementia, this book highlights the complexities of the caregiving relationship. Key chapters also address potential benefits including improved relationships, skill set development and generously giving to another. Expert contributors use examples to illustrate the need for organizations to address increases in caregiving among their employees and develop supportive policies and initiatives. They further show that there is a need at the country level to integrate employees, communities, employers, businesses and levels of government to deal with this increasing trend. This timely book will prove an indispensible reference for academics and students interested in the sandwich generation, caregiving and health. Its practical approach will also benefit human resource management professionals, managers dealing with sandwiched employees and health administrators at various levels of government. Contributors include: R. Attieh, S. Austen, R. Burke, L. Calvano, C.E. Greaves, T. Jefferson, N.L. Jimmieson, A.H. Kim, S. LoboPrabhu, N. Mandell, A. Mitra, V. Molinari, A. Ollier-Malterre, R. Ong, S.L. Parker, A.H. Prokos, J. Reid Keene, C. Reinicke, C.W. Rudolph, R. Sharp, P. Ulmanen, S.I. White Means, T. Yamashita, H. Zacher

Each new generation of upcoming professionals requires different strategies for effective management within the workforce. In order to promote a cohesive and productive environment, managers must take steps to better understand their employees. The Handbook of Research on Human Resources Strategies for the New Millennial Workforce is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on theoretical frameworks and applications for the management of millennials entering the professional realm. Focusing on methods and practices to enhance organizational performance and culture, this book is ideally designed for managers, professionals, upper-level students, and researchers in the fields of human resource and strategic management.

Pension funds are big business. They are important to employers, employees, governments, and society at large. With the increasing concern over dwindling retirement benefits and the effect on public awareness of recent pension fund crises, managing pension plans has never been more critical--and the pressure on those who are responsible for them has only intensified. Destined to become the classic resource on pension plan management, Managing Pension Plans explains everything you need to know for successful management of any pension plan--from how pension plans help sponsors manage their workforces to the latest in investment and risk management. With concise and practical guidance on ways for achieving optimal finance performance, Managing Pensions Plans is an indispensable resource for pension fund trustees, boards of directors, managers, and administrators of both public and private pension plans as well as for the money management firms, consultants, actuaries, and accountants who serve the pension fund industry. Logue and Rader, two of the world's leading experts on the subject, explain all the financial, legal, economic, accounting, and managerial issues that those who make pension fund decisions must juggle--in language that non-financial managers can understand, yet with sufficient depth to be useful to financial managers as well. The authors synthesize the latest in capital market and financial economics research to help those involved in pension management improve their decision-making in all the critical areas, including: choosing the optimal form of pension plan, formulating and implementing the plan's investment strategy, selecting and monitoring pension plan managers, measuring the plan's performance, and managing financial risk. In addition, the book describes in detail the responsibilities of fiduciaries, revealing how to be both a prudent fiduciary and a capable decision maker. Additionally, Managing Pension Plans offers candid advice on how pension managers can improve fund performance by being more effective shareholders. As pension fund management and performance increasingly affect the success of organizations as a whole, this book will be indispensable to anyone--from fund analysts to board members--who influences pension fund decisions.

Exiting OZ is an eye-opening book about leadership as it must become for organizations to survive in today's rapidly changing world. It is a must read for leaders interested in building a sustainable organization and populating it with dedicated, high performance people, and for high performance people interested in avoiding the perils and pitfalls of OZ organizations.OZ is a metaphor for Organizational Zeal, the notion that the organization is more important than the people that keep it alive. OZ organizations are full of ineffective leaders and each is exposed in this book through clever comparisons to the characters from L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.Exiting OZ takes you on a fascinating journey through the world of typical organizations and explains in colorful analogies why business-as-usual is a formula for failure as the newer generations move into the workforce majority and reject standard management practices.Giving organizations a ten to twelve year window to get it right, the authors explain, and back their assertions with plenty of data, why organizations of every kind, from corporations to governments, to academic, religious and other institutions must adopt new leadership strategies if they are to survive and thrive.

Rarely discussed in courses on ethics is the topic of excuses, but in McDowell's view, excuses offer the most illuminating way to understand the true nature of ethical problems in the professions. He looks at excuses that professionals give when accused of acting unethically, and asks, when are they valid and when not? Problems of professional ethics are really problems of compliance, he argues, not ignorance of expectations. The study of excuses can help us understand what these problems are and offer insights into ways to solve them. Banks maintains too that our ethical expectations may need overhauling, given substantial changes that have occurred in how professionals do their work today. They can be easily persuaded that what they are doing is not unethical; it depends on the excuses they give themselves as well as others. Professionals know what's expected of them, but social and economic pressures make compliance difficult. Professionals in all fields, who struggle to be both successful and ethical, will find the book challenging, provocative, and yet sympathetic and reassuring too. It will also be an important resource for graduate students in courses exploring the relationship between business and ethics.

Excuses may be ways of avoiding professional responsibility, says McDowell, but they may also be the way in which general ethical principles are adapted to particular contexts. They may also indicate that ethical codes need to be reformulated to adapt to changes in how professional services are delivered. Specialization, urbanization and the systematic breakdown in community relationships, the globalization of the economy, system, and market pressures for success--for all these reasons, professionals today face problems much different from those faced by their counterparts earlier in the century. Excuses also raise the problem of whether any system of voluntary compliance, like professional ethics, can function when the decision on whether an excuse is valid or invalid rests with the actor, who can rationalize almost any self-interested action he or she might take. McDowell explores these issues and others in a fresh, readable style, with numerous anecdotal examples, and with evidence from many sources that the crisis is real and demands quick but lasting remedies.