Moral posturing of charitable organisations can go hand in hand with unethical behaviours

Moral posturing of charitable organisations can go hand in hand with unethical behaviours

The aura of moral goodness coming from within charitable organisations can blind their employees and volunteers, according to new research from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). Lead researcher, Dr Isabel de Bruin found that people in charities’ can glorify their charities’ noble goals, noble values, and noble people. This self-glorification can lead to unethical behaviour, which she terms as the “NGO halo effect”.  More →

Business leaders and employees are not on the same page when it comes to productivity

Business leaders and employees are not on the same page when it comes to productivity

there are significant disconnects between how organisational leaders and their employees and managers view their ability to perform optimally to maximise productivityA new poll of 2,000 people suggests that while 90 percent of business leaders think their performance management process is a success, only 55 percent of employees agree with them. According to the State of Performance Enablement report from Betterworks, there are significant disconnects between how organisational leaders and their employees and managers view their ability to perform optimally and maximise productivity. More →

AI can help people deal with burnout, say HR managers

AI can help people deal with burnout, say HR managers

A new report from Sage claims that HR professionals now welcome AI to ease the burden of admin jobs, take away time consuming tasks, and, ultimately, ease burnoutA new report from Sage claims that HR professionals now welcome AI to ease the burden of admin jobs, take away time consuming tasks, and, ultimately, ease burnout. The annual report, titled ‘The Changing Face of HR’ [registration], surveyed over 1,000 HR leaders across a range of sectors and countries, finding that 77 percent believe AI has the potential to revolutionise ways of working within their company. With 95 percent of respondents reporting an increase in their workload over the past year and 91 percent seeing an increase in more responsibilities in their role. HR leaders in the UK are particularly strained with workloads, with respondents twice as likely to work over 45 hours per week compared to before the pandemic, the report claims. More →

Half of workers say they are ready to take advantage of new flexible working laws

Half of workers say they are ready to take advantage of new flexible working laws

more than half (55 percent) of respondents to a poll are planning to make a new request for flexible working when new rules come into UK law this weekendBusinesses are being advised to brace themselves as a new poll claims more than half (55 percent) of respondents are planning to make a new request for flexible working when new rules come into UK law this weekend. The changes introduced by the Flexible Working Bill on April 6 – allowing workers to ask for flexible forms of work from day one of their employment (previously six months)  – look set to lead to a sharp increase in flexible working requests even though 74 percent of employees report already having some degree of flexibility.  More →

AI turns out to be an effective administrator for academics

AI turns out to be an effective administrator for academics

Researchers Maximilian Koehler, PhD candidate at ESMT, and Henry Sauermann, professor of strategy at ESMT, explore the role of AI, not as a “worker” performing specific research tasks such as data collection and analysis, but as a “manager” of human workers performing such tasks. Algorithmic management (AM) suggests a significant shift in the way research projects are conducted and can enable projects to operate at larger scale and efficiency. The study Algorithmic Management in Scientific Research is published in the journal Research Policy. More →

London Mayor sets out ambitious plans for Capital’s growth and reinvention

London Mayor sets out ambitious plans for Capital’s growth and reinvention

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is today launching an ambitious plan aimed at creating 150,000 high-quality, well-paid jobs by 2028. This initiative will be unveiled alongside the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Reeves will say that a Labour administration intends to reset the relationship between the national government and London, while Khan thinks what is good for London is good for the UK. More →

Virtual meetings can boost wellbeing and performance

Virtual meetings can boost wellbeing and performance

Virtual meetings – often derided as impersonal and prone to technical glitches – can improve employee wellbeing and performanceVirtual meetings – often derided as impersonal and prone to technical glitches – can improve employee wellbeing and performance, a new study led by a Trinity Business School researcher has found. The research, conducted alongside Karin S. Moser (UniDistance Suisse, University of Queensland), Stefan Diestel (University of Wuppertal) and Isaac Alshaikh (South East Technological University Waterford), conducted during the ongoing shift to hybrid work environments and just published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior, concludes that virtual meetings, a staple of the COVID-19 pandemic, are not just a necessity but can also be beneficial. More →

Policy response will determine if opportunities of AI in the workplace outweigh the risks

Policy response will determine if opportunities of AI in the workplace outweigh the risks

A new OECD report Using AI in the Workplace sets out to sheds light on the multifaceted impact of AI adoption, emphasising both its benefits and potential risksA new OECD report Using AI in the Workplace sets out to sheds light on the multifaceted impact of AI adoption, emphasising both its benefits and potential risks. According to the report, AI can bring significant benefits to the workplace. In the OECD AI surveys of employers and workers, four in five workers say that AI improved their performance at work and three in five say that it increased their enjoyment of work. But the benefits of AI depend on addressing the associated risks. Taking the effect of AI into account, occupations at highest risk of automation account for about 27 percent of employment in OECD countries. More →

What do people really want from an office design? Some peace and quiet

What do people really want from an office design? Some peace and quiet

poor quality office design is now thoroughly out of favour, as one in three people (33 percent) have an issue with a lack of privacy in the workplaceNew research from a survey of 2,000 UK office workers by BW: Workplace Experts suggests that poor quality office design is now thoroughly out of favour, as one in three people (33 percent) have an issue with a lack of privacy in the workplace. In fact, over a third (34 percent) ranked the most valuable spaces in the office as available meeting rooms, adequate amounts of breakout spaces, and social spaces, reflecting a desire to have more varied private and collaborative spaces. 27 percent said that they also value wellness spaces (e.g., exercise room, meditation room) and roughly one in 10 (11 percent) said access to outdoor space would influence them to go into the office more often. More →

US and UK sign agreement on AI safety

US and UK sign agreement on AI safety

In a landmark agreement, the United States and the United Kingdom have pledged to collaborate on testing advanced AI safetyIn a landmark agreement, the United States and the United Kingdom have pledged to collaborate on testing advanced artificial intelligence (AI). This is the first-ever bilateral deal of its kind focused on AI safety. This agreement builds on commitments made at the AI Safety Summit last year, where both countries established AI Safety Institutes. These institutes will work together to develop robust methods for evaluating the safety of AI tools and systems. More →

Nine in ten employers of knowledge workers offer hybrid working. Nearly all would like them in the office more

Nine in ten employers of knowledge workers offer hybrid working. Nearly all would like them in the office more

91% of companies have employees hybrid working and nearly all have tried to encourage them to come to the office moreAround 91 percent of companies with a workforce that can work from home currently offer some form of hybrid working, according to a new poll of 500 HR professionals from Towergate Health & Protection. On average 39 percent of the workforce are hybrid working and 27 percent of employers have more than half their workforce hybrid working. The poll also suggests that 30 percent of employees work from home for at least three days a week. Employers stated that 31- 40-year-olds are the age group most likely to want to work from home, and over 60s and under 25s are least likely to want to work from home. More →

British workers now entirely unproductive, claims report

British workers now entirely unproductive, claims report

The overwhelming majority of UK workers don’t do anything productive at all, according to a new report published today. The study of available research into the illnesses, injuries, distractions, wastes of time, procrastinations, productivity drains and paralyses that afflict British workers found that the annual cost to the British economy is around £1.8 trillion, equivalent to 98.9 percent of GDP.

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