Are Satisfied Employees Less Willing to Help Others?

Organizations can be regarded as a system of relationships between individuals. Social exchange theory (e.g. Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005) provides a general framework to understand these relationships, arguing that positive interactions are likely to increase cooperation among individuals in organizations. While there is much information about how cooperative relationships evolve, far less is known about how these relationships affect each other. Now, taking into account that employees have multiple relationships as they are dealing with coworkers and with supervisors, the question is whether cooperation in one direction may affect cooperation in the other. 

From an organizational perspective, career systems may be viewed as a means to create cooperative relationships with employees. At the same time, however, they can reduce cooperation among coworkers as they will compete for higher positions. This mechanism was found in a study among Dutch organizations: the more satisfied employees were with their career opportunities, the less willing they were to help their colleagues (Koster, 2014). This suggests that the motivational effect of career systems may be at odds with the conditions that are needed to create positive work relations among employees. Organizations that are based around teamwork should be aware of this potential trade-off of between career incentives and cooperation among employees.

 References

Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31, 874-900.

Koster, F. (2014). “When two worlds collide”. Career satisfaction and altruistic organizational citizenship behavior. International Journal of Business Science and Applied Management, 9(1), 1-12.

Bio

Dr. Ferry Koster is Associate Professor of Labor, Organization, and Management at the department of Sociology of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), the Netherlands. Besides that, he is a researcher at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His empirical research includes the cross national comparison of formal policies and individual attitudes, the comparative study of organizations, and organizational behavior. A general theme across these studies is the question to what extent and how social context relates to individual outcomes.

EUR profile of Ferry Koster

 http://www.eur.nl/fsw/sociologie/profielen/profiel_mis/10538/

Call for Papers: GABER 15th Business and Economics International Conference

Organized by: Global Academy of Business and Economic Research
Deadline for abstracts/proposals: 31st December 2014

Website: http://www.gaberic.org/23.html

Global Academy of Business and Economic Research (GABER) is inviting papers in all areas of Accounting, Finance, Economics, Marketing and Management for 15th International Conference in Orlando. www.gaberic.org

Papers submissions  and subjects

Academics and researchers worldwide are invited to submit full-length papers, research-in-progress papers, case studies, abstracts, or special session proposals for The 15^th  International Conference of The Global Academy Of Business & Economic Research. Topics in all areas of accounting, finance, investment, economics, management, operations management, management information systems, marketing, E-commerce, energy issues, business education, finance education, accounting education, accreditation and education, education financing; transportation innovation, economics, finance, management, policy, supply chain management/logistics; entrepreneurship, regional development, and interdisciplinary innovative ideas and solutions in the above areas are covered.  In addition to academic sessions, papers on special sessions related to contemporary issues in all areas are invited. Examples and format of special sessions can be viewed on the page of special session. For details visit www.gaberic.org.

Sea Shells-Tips on Using Sensory Perception to Improve Sales

The smell of salty sea permeates the nose while the hum and hiss of the waves is subtly blanketing the distractions from the outside world. Foam bubbles among the rocks leaving little foot prints as they sway in and out with each ocean movement. Sea shells creating a colony of travelers  As your toes feel the powder of the sand and the cool water rushes around your ankles you peer out over the horizon to see cranes diving in the water in search of today's meal. The breeze parts your hair and reminds you that life is always present. 

San Diego is a popular destination full of sensory perception. In fact, so popular that it draws 34 million visitors a year (As cited in UT Sand Diego).  They come from all of the world to play in the ocean, eat at the restaurants, attend games, soak up the weather, enjoy the night life and bask on the beaches. San Diego's attraction as a tourist destination is based upon how the environment activates the sense and creates memories that foster positive changes in mood.

The seaside paragraph writing is an example of how written language encourages feelings, thoughts, and impressions through activating our senses much like as the tourist experience of San Diego. The input of hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste help us understand the world around us and lead to positive impressions and moods. The same mechanics that help us "remember" and "feel" positive experiences can also be used to generate additional sales.

You may consider another more focused example. The sights, smells, and general impressions of homes in the real estate market impacts the likelihood of a positive sale (Blake, 2002).  The first impression, clean walls, the smell of apple pie in the oven, and decorated furniture raise the value of the whole home. The opposite is also true. Dirty walls, musty smell, and lack of furniture can make a home look like a poor habitat that leads to lower market value. 

Business that desire to create inviting atmosphere where patrons are more eager to return, or make purchases, should consider incorporating sensory perceptions within the customer experience. Hotels develop an inviting lobby while cars try and put in place the "new leather" smell. Each sensory perception has some advantage in creating long lasting impressions that can lead to higher or lower future sales. 

This doesn't mean that you should just overload people's sense. Businesses should understand which senses contribute to the experience and which are overloading the customers and making a poor impression. Light background music in a doctor's office is very different than hard rock (or electronic) unless your demographic is between 20-30. At some point, it becomes taxing for people to continue to stay in a sensory overloaded environment and they will seek to escape. 

There are companies that do this right. Some coffee shops will match the visual impressions of baked goods with the smell of coffee or cinnamon. A pub may decorate with items of interest to male sports enthusiasts while providing the smell of charbroiled meat. Fine dining restaurants may focus more on a sleek design and international music based upon current trends. 

The key to using sensory perceptions well is to understand your customer base and match it to your customers needs. If your customer base is in search of housing in a family neighborhood then providing items like apple pie, clean yards, and pointing out local parks would be of benefit. If the customer base is more trendy then modern music, community interaction, popular aromas, and a perception of exclusivity should abound. 

Sensory perception is part of what makes us who we are. Our brains, and their focus, determine which pieces of information sensory perception will understand and which it will ignore. Offering sensory perception to your customers should be based in what they are currently thinking and seeing out of the situation and enhancing the impression to its highest end. Such impressions eventually create memories and feelings that can help people "connect" with the company and buy more items in the future. 

A few tips on using sensory perception to improve sales:

1. Think of first impressions and how the senses get enacted.
2. Subtle impressions may have more power than overbearing stimulus.
3. Define your target market and design your sensory perception around their needs. 
4. Sensory stimuli should heighten the experience and raise the value of the product.
5. Use combinations to create a stronger impression. 
6. Stimuli should created positive feelings and memories.

Blake, T. (2002). Sale of the Sensory. Journal of Property Management, 67 (6).

 

 

 

 

 

Adjunct Business Faculty Coaches

Academic Coaches are highly qualified, experienced practitioners who most frequently serve as the liaison between the university faculty member and students. The exact qualifications and requirements of an Academic Coach are tailored according to individual university and program needs. Often the Academic Coach is the student's initial point of contact, and acts in much a similar fashion that a traditional teaching assistant does in a university.

Coaches monitor student engagement, facilitate course content, provide online student support, and regularly collaborate with university faculty. Academic Coaches serve as facilitators and graders, while university faculty are the teacher of record. Compensation is based on a per-student-per-course formula. About 75% of the courses are 5 to 9-week course cycles and the programs are year round.

The average is approximately 10-15 minutes per student per week; however that can vary on the course you are assigned to and the number of open ended assignments within the course. The Academic Coaching positions are considered part-time work (as an independent contractor).

Academic Coaches who consistently complete coach assignments with quality will be considered for additional sections or responsibilities. We do not want to over extend a coaches' responsibilities to such a degree that this negatively impacts their ability to serve students. In a first assignment, the practical limit is 50 students, with 30 being more typical. A highly proficient coach with ample time may be assigned up to 120 students but this is the upper limit.

If selected as an applicant, you will be required to complete an Academic Coach Training course (which is a Pre-Employment Screening). Participants can expect to commit 4 to 6 hours to the self-paced screening, accomplished over one week. Training includes detailed expectations of an Academic Coach, introduction to the learning management systems (LMS) and a study of the principles of online education. If a participant does not complete this training in the allotted time, he or she may re-enroll in the course again. The training is offered 2-3 times per month and always start on a Monday.

Upon successful competition of the screening (active participation and working through all modules), you are advanced to the contracting phase. The contract is dependent on the success of the background check and screening. Once your contractor package is complete, your name will added to our pool of screened and qualified Academic Coaches ready for an assignment.

Coaching assignments are made in consultation with Lead Coaches and/or Coordinating Coaches. Either of whom may guide the candidate in a short orientation to the assigned program and course. Actual course assignments are made near to the course start date and are dependent on many factors including: area and level of graduate study, university approval and student enrollments.

 For Business Programs:
A minimum of a doctorate/terminal degree in Business related field or actively pursuing a terminal degree with at least 18+ graduate hours in the specific course content area is required. Business degrees must be from AACSB accredited institutions. Experience in online education is preferred.

• Accounting (MBA or MS Accounting REQUIRED, CPA desired, PhD preferred)
• Economics (Master's Degree REQUIRED, PhD or DBA preferred)
• Finance (Master's Degree REQUIRED, CFP strongly desired, PhD or DBA preferred)
• Marketing (Master's Degree REQUIRED, PhD or DBA preferred)
• Risk Management (Master's Degree REQUIRED, DBA or PHD strongly preferred, 5 years experience in the risk management or commercial property-casualty insurance field)

https://secure.jotformpro.com/ICForms/Application2014