Browsing by Subject "työkyky"

This present study analyses quantitatively and qualitatively supervisors’ perceptions and experiences of age management in a metal industry organization in Finland. The study aims to describe supervisors’ thoughts about age management and its implementation in practice: how do they take into consideration different-aged team members in their leadership practices, do they feel they have the necessary skills to support different-aged team members’ working ability, and do they experience the age management as part of organizational culture and strategy. Furthermore, the target of the study is to describe supervisors’ experience of need for an additional support regarding age management. The study is part of an internal career path model –project in the case organization, which emphasizes the diverse expectations that employees representing different age groups have on different stages in their career path. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the concepts of management in matrix organizations, age management, diversity in organizations, working ability, burnout and work engagement, as well as, transitions in career path. The study material consisted of an online survey, which included both open questions and multiple-choice questions. Quantitative data was analyzed with SPSS-program by parametric methods and the content based analyze of qualitative data was carried out according to the phenomenological-hermeneutical tradition based on the theory. According to quantitative data, the participants felt that they take well into consideration different aged employees, their competence development and working ability in practical supervisory work. The supervisors experienced the age management quite strongly as part of the organization's culture and strategy, although the qualitative data indicated that the concept of age management was unknown, and more introduction was hoped. In addition, according to the quantitative and qualitative data, taking into consideration the physical nature of the work appeared as a development area; supervisors experienced that they need practical examples concerning how to use career flexibilities. The descriptions of supervisors also highlighted the fact that supporting the younger team members’ working ability has also been challenging. In addition, less experienced supervisors are more likely to evaluate their skills and resources weaker than those who have more experience from supervisory work and thus, age management themes were hoped to be part of the orientation for supervisors. Furthermore, older supervisors did not experience age management that strongly as part of organization’s culture and strategy.

Goals. The aim of this study was to examine Finnish school principals’ job-related emotions during the COVID-10 pandemic in the Spring 2020. The goal of the study was to examine what sort of emotion profiles it is possible to identify among school principals, and how these groups differ in job performance, ability to work, and gender. The theory of achievement emotions, in which emotions are described by valence, activation, and object focus, was used to examine principals’ emotions. It is important to examine the connection between emotions and job performance and ability to work, because emotions have a significant impact on individual’s behaviour and wellbeing. The study’s character was mainly explorative. Methods. The data (n = 552) was collected from Finnish school principals during the Spring and early Summer 2020 as part of the second Principal Barometer. Of the respondents, 59 % were women. Participants filled in a questionnaire measuring emotions, job performance, and ability to work. The emotion profile groups among school principals were examined by Two Step Cluser analysis. Group differences between the emotion profiles in job performance and ability to work were examined by analysis of variance, and gender differences were examined by cross-tabulation and X2 independence test. Results and conclusions. Four different emotion profiles were identified among school principals. The first profile described principals who experienced only little both positive and negative emotions. The group was named as mild emotions profile. The second profile described principals who mostly experienced positive emotions, and was named as positive emotions profile. The third group experienced both positive and negative emotions higher than average, and was named as strong emotions profile. The fourth profile described principals who mostly experienced negative emotions, and was named as negative emotions profile. The groups varied partly in job performance and ability to work. Principals belonging to the positive emotions profile expressed higher job performance and ability to work than the other groups. In contrary, principals belonging to the negative emotions profile experienced lower job performance and ability than the other groups. Principals belonging to the mild emotions profile and to the strong emotions profile did not differ from each other in job performance and ability to work. No gender differences were found between the groups. This study shows that school principals experienced a great variety of emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The strongest positive and negative emotions are associated with job performance and ability to work. In the future, it would be important to study, how school principals’ emotions change in different work circumstances and how emotions are connected to the wider wellbeing of school principals.