The Job Demands-Resources Framework (JDR) has established job- and personal resources as essential elements motivating people to perform. Whilst the purpose of job resources in this motivational process is well established, the role of personal resources is still quite ambiguous. Within the JDR framework, personal resources could (a) directly affect performance, (b) indirectly affect the relationship between a job resource and a performance outcome and (c) moderate the job resource-performance relationship. Grit has recently emerged as a promising personal resource as it could potentially act as a direct antecedent-, mediator and moderator within the motivational process of the JDR. To further the debate on the role of personal resources, this paper explores the function of grit (as a personal resource) within the person-environment fit (job resource) and task performance relationship. Specifically, the aim is to determine if grit directly or indirectly affects the relationship between person-environment fit and task performance. Finally, it aims to investigate whether grit moderates this relationship. Data were collected from 310 working adults through electronic surveys, and the relationships were explored through structural equation modelling. When controlling for age and gender, the results showed a positive association between person-environment fit, grit and task performance. Further, grit was also found to indirectly affect the relationship between the person-environment fit and task performance. However, no moderating effect could be established. This signifies the importance of grit as a psychological process, rather than a buffering element that may explain how person-environment fit affects performance outcomes.

Implicit and explicit communication strategies during organizational change: a case study on a shared service center implementation within the public sector Implicit and explicit communication strategies during organizational change: a case study on a shared service center implementation within the public sector In this case study, we used the Organizational Stakeholder Model of Change Implementation Communication (Lewis, 2007) to evaluate the communication strategy used during the implementation of a Shared Service Center in a large governmental agency. The model proves to be useful for describing the strategic choices made by the project managers. Most of the dimensions were recognizable in the communication efforts, even though most of these choices were made implicitly. Interestingly, several stakeholders disagreed with the project management team about the identification of the strategy. They experienced the communication efforts negatively rather than balanced or positive. The results show the complexity of communication during change and the ways people make sense of these dynamic processes. The strategy dimensions can be useful guides when managing complex changes like the implementation of a Shared Service Center.

More organizations then even before are adopting or consider to adopt Lean Management; this trend, beyond manufacturing, can be seen as part of the drive towards operational excellence. While academic studies on Lean methods are widespread, research on effective behavior in Lean operations is still rare. To date there have been few scholarly studies that reported on behavioral predictors of Lean organizing. In this review paper we analyze them; careful search-and selection effort uncovered ten empirical Lean s tudies with a teambehavioral focus; they are methodologically diverse and offer various lenses. Given this small set of original studies, we supplemented our review of Lean team studies with relevant results of the much older and more established team-effectiveness literature. Nine Lean team human dynamics were uncovered, consisting of affective, behavioral and/or cognitive factors that build upon and reinforce each other in a delicate balance. It appears that a Lean team culture is hand-crafted, over time: when team members engage in Lean practices that are helping them to reflect on their own work habits so that they can improve their routines. Moreover, variables that figure prominently in effective team contexts, such as 'voice behavior' or customer-related output variables, have not been included in the reviewed Lean team studies. Thus, this systematic review of the available empirical Lean team behavior studies opens up new research paths for testing the various theoretical linkages between effective Lean management, group behavior at the shop-floor level and organizational/group culture/climate theory, including enablers of effective Lean work-group behavior.