Browsing by Author "Saksala, Erika"

This study examines the organization of job rotation and its impact on individuals' career development opportunities. Job rotation is a means of developing employees’ skills and it can also be seen as a means to promote work well-being and the extension of working careers. Job rotation is relevant to employees and to organizations in a society where organizations compete for skilled labor and where career flexibility is highlighted. The study was conducted as an assignment to Elisa Ltd, a Finnish telecommunications and ICT service company. The aim was to determine the organization of job rotation, the attitudes of different age and staff groups and the relation between internal and external mobility. The study was carried out as a qualitative case study. The primary research data was collected by theme interviews with 20 employees of Elisa. Preliminary interviews were conducted with the company’s HR department and its managers, and the company's internal and published text materials on job rotation and internal mobility were used as additional data. The interviews were analyzed using thematization, which aims to raise from the data all apparent themes that are important to the study problem. The conclusions followed from the results and from comparing the results to the theoretical framework of the study. Based on the results, a model is proposed to promote job rotation in the company. Not all job rotation institutions seem to produce desired results. Based on the results, some common rules define the organization of job rotation at Elisa. There are, however, different standards, values, images and practices that have an impact on the implementation of job rotation. Different units in the organization seem to have diverse practices, for example, in the way they inform their staff about job rotation and encouraging them to rotate. The workers find it necessary to increase awareness and transparency of the job rotation process, its definition and goals. There is also some inconsistency in the compliance to the rules of job rotation. The employee’s own activity seems to be of great importance, but also relationships-based systems are important in organizing job rotation: for example the role of managers seems to be extremely significant. The advantages and objectives of job rotation must be clearly defined and articulated, so that its formation as part of Elisa's culture can be promoted and fostered. Cooperation between units should be enhanced to share good practices and to unify activities concerning job rotation. There is a need to develop leadership to support job rotation so that its interests and goals are understood and rotating is encouraged. The utility of diverse communication channels need to be reconsidered so that they would truly support job rotation and that staff would use them on a regular basis. Job rotation seems to have a positive impact on employees' career development opportunities and it seems to increase employees´ commitment to their workplace. Job rotation should, however, be better included in the systematic career planning process; workers' active planning of forthcoming career steps and consideration of their opportunities and interests can contribute to workers' placement in the right kind of tasks in the organization and support their development.