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Burnout Syndrome In Hospital's Nurses: Causes And Consequences, Lama Bakhamis, Harlan M. Smith Ii, Alberto Coustasse, David P. Paul Iii

Harlan M. Smith

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to examine the causes and consequences of Burnout Syndrome among RNs in U.S. hospitals to identify solutions to this problem.

METHODS: The methodology was the review of the literature and a semi-structured interview. There were seven primary databases and two websites used in this research, and 35 articles were used for this literature review.

RESULTS: Causes and risk factors of burnout syndrome among RNs have been categorized into four major areas: individual, management, organizational, and work characteristics. Burnout syndrome rate among RNs with age under 30 years was 43.6% higher …

The Empirical Verification Of Becker's Theory Of Discrimination: What Have We Learned?, Harlan M. Smith Ii

Harlan M. Smith

For over 30 years now empirical research on racial discrimination in the workplace has been defined by, and focused on, Becker's insight The literature is now extensive, highly technical, and to some extent fragmented-as groups of analysts have concentrated on different aspects of the problem. This paper is intended to be a "primer" on this work for the nonspecialist who wants to get up to speed on, or possibly begin contributing to, this line of research. In what follows, therefore, I highlight some of the important articles, key methodological advances, and central results that have been obtained to date. More …

Perceptions Of The Characteristics Of Good, Bad And Ordinary Workers On The Job: The Influence Of Work Experience And Culture, Chong W. Kim, Andrew Sikula Sr., Harlan M. Smith Ii

Harlan M. Smith

As noted in Kim & Sikula (2003; 2004), there are three types of people in the workplace: people of Necessity, Common people, and Parasites. A person of Necessity is irreplaceable, crucial to the functioning of an organization. The Common person is a worker of average ability and talent who makes no significant difference to the success of an organization. Parasites are detrimental freeloaders, harmful to the functioning of an organization. In the 2004 paper we analyzed the survey responses of 25 students in an MBA Organizational Behavior class, and of 13 working managers, all in the United States. In this …

The Key Characteristics Of Different Types Of Employees: A Summary Of Six Studies, Chong W. Kim, Harlan M. Smith Ii, Andrew Sikula Sr., Lorraine P. Anderson

Harlan M. Smith

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is, first, to summarize six studies which analyze the key characteristics of different types of employees. Three types of employees found in workplaces all over the world are identified as “Necessities,” “Commoners,” and “Parasites” and, second, to combine the results of these studies in order to identify the key traits and behaviors that characterize each type of worker across a variety of social and cultural settings. Design/methodology/approach – For starters, three types of employees are defined. First, a person is a Necessity if s/he is irreplaceable and critical to the functioning of an …

A Strategy For Rural Financial Market Reform: Applying The Financial Systems Approach In Ghana, Harlan M. Smith Ii, Abor Yeboah

Harlan M. Smith

We construct, using methods advocated in one strand of the Financial Systems Approach literature, a reform-and-renewal program for one of Ghana’s struggling Rural Banks--the Kaaseman Rural Bank. Questionnaire results, local informal financial practices, recent institutional innovations in Ghanaian finance, the experiences of successful “Nontraditional” rural finance institutions in developing countries, and the operating structure of the Rural Bank program indicate that this bank can implement a group-lending scheme that will reduce significantly its transaction costs and those of its customers. We thus demonstrate how the Financial Systems Approach can be employed to promote sustainable rural financial intermediation in a specific …

Culture’S Influence On The Perceived Characteristics Of Employees: Comparing The Views Of U.S. And Chilean Workers, Chong W. Kim, Leopoldo Arias-Bolzmann, Harlan M. Smith Ii

Harlan M. Smith

As noted in previous work (Kim & Sikula, 2005; Kim & Sikula, 2006; Kim, Sikula & Smith, 2006; Kim, Cho & Sikula, 2007), there are three types of people in the workplace: “Necessities,” “Commoners,” and “Parasites.” A person of Necessity is irreplaceable and crucial to the functioning of an organization. A Commoner is a person of normal ability and talent who has no significant impact on organizational success. Parasites are detrimental freeloaders who damage the functioning of an organization. Kim & Sikula (2005) asked 25 students in an MBA Organizational Behavior class and 13 working managers (all of whom live …