Integrating Learning and Work in the Newspaper Industry: A Comparative Study of Greek and Swiss Journalists

Dekoulou, Paraskevi; Pühringer, Karin; Georgakarakou, Chrysanthi; Tsourvakas, George

doi:10.1080/16522354.2010.11073503

“…Such change needs to be prepared for, and not just with management skills, for example Deuze (2011) calls for a more humanistic approach to leadership in news organisations. In a similar vein, Strong (2011) Organisation development theory and practice is a field which journalism scholars have been increasingly urging news media organisation to turn to (Dekoulou, Pühringer, Tsourvakas, 2010;Gade, 2004;Hollifield, 2011;Kung, 2011). A comparative study of Swiss and Greek news media attempts to use organisational development strategies suggests that they have tried, but they are a long way from transforming into learning organisations (Dekoulou, Pühringer, Tsourvakas, 2010).…”

Section: Research For Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a similar vein, Strong (2011) Organisation development theory and practice is a field which journalism scholars have been increasingly urging news media organisation to turn to (Dekoulou, Pühringer, Tsourvakas, 2010;Gade, 2004;Hollifield, 2011;Kung, 2011). A comparative study of Swiss and Greek news media attempts to use organisational development strategies suggests that they have tried, but they are a long way from transforming into learning organisations (Dekoulou, Pühringer, Tsourvakas, 2010). Kung recommends managers tap into theories of organisational creativity and complexity theory, by providing structures where cognition and culture in the organisation allow for creativity.…”

Section: Research For Changementioning

confidence: 99%

The Relational Newsroom: An Appreciative Inquiry into how Leadership Empowers Learning in Newsrooms

Whelan¹

0

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<p>The field of journalism in New Zealand has gone through significant changes in the last few years, with the onset of digital technologies, their impact on the funding of journalism and on readership, and in turn on the way journalism is performed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand how leadership empowers learning in newsrooms and, in turn, contributes to the training and development of journalists. The intent here is to contribute to the constantly evolving field of journalism as it deals with the digital changes driving what is arguably the most concentrated period of change in its history. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) has typically been used in organisations to manifest positive change for people. However, for this study I have creatively adapted and applied the Appreciative Inquiry framework to situate qualitative research methods inside three newsrooms in New Zealand. Focus groups in each newsroom were comprised of individuals from different hierarchical levels of the workplace. As the lead researcher I led the groups who operated as co-researchers following the AI process of four phases comprising Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny seeking to understand how leadership empowers learning in newsrooms. The findings were initially drawn from an analysis of the themes which arose in the discussions. From the findings I use AI theory and adapt the AI process to propose a Relational Newsroom framework for use in newsrooms. By embedding newsroom groups constantly using the 4-D cycle of AI and involving the public in live interaction process with newsroom decision-making, the framework would generate practices of communication, trust, personal leadership and structure identified in the findings. This study concludes with proposals in the form of action statements for use in both news media and journalism school newsrooms to have journalists engaged and involved in creating the future of the field.</p>

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Human Resource Management in the Media

Costello¹,

Oliver²

2018

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However, there are some studies that specifically focus on functions of HRM in media organizations. Becker, Vlad and Martin (2006) address how changes in the US newspaper labor market has impacted hiring trends. They discovered that large US daily newspapers tend to hire only experienced journalists (Becker, Vlad & Martin, 2006). This trend would suggest that media organizations will have to invest in training if they want to keep a more experienced journalist up-to-date with technological advancements. The main study from JMM that directly addressed SHRM practices was Adams-Bloom's (2009) exploration into high performance work organizations (HPWO) initiatives. This study discovered evidence of HPWO practices (profit sharing, feedback and non-monetary rewards) were more prominent in news organizations then professional development, such as training, advance certification or conferences. Adams-Bloom (2009) concluded "measurement of HPWO success is dependent on demonstrating increases in productivity and profitability" (p. 142). This infers that more research is needed on the how performance can impact productivity. Dekoulou, Pühringer, Georgakarakou & Tsourvakas (2010) elaborated on how an organizational learning culture could improve performance amongst journalists, especially those desiring to attend advanced training. The implications for SHRM were clearly linked to the need to evaluate human resource development practices and engagement; although, studies in the past decade have brought mainstream SHRM conversations into media management literature. Overall, it is evident that media management scholars have many opportunities to advance understanding of how HRM practices can be improved and tailored to the changing environment. Media companies and their employees need to remain adaptive A dynamic media environment is being driven, primarily, by technological influences and change. Media firms need to adapt to this turbulent environment and realign their SHRM policies in accordance with the strategic management of their organization (Shameem & Khan, 2012). Commonly, HR tasks such as recruitment, retention and performance of employees are not industry specific, but competencies of management relating to creative talent management, digital technology that constantly evolve and continuous innovation do influence standard HR functions (Artero & Manifredi, 2016). A central tenet of our discussion is that media firms and their employees need to remain adaptive, particularly as firms that adapt fastest can achieve a competitive advantage over rivals (Oliver, 2016). Research by Reeves and Deimler (2011) and Reeves, Love and Nishant (2012) presented a powerful argument for media firm adaptation. They examined the volatility in the US Media Industry between 2005-2011 and concluded that during periods of turbulence in demand, competition and profit margins, firms that outperformed others did so due to their ability to interpret and adapt to signals of impending market volatility. Their research indicated that DirecTV, Tim...

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The Relational Newsroom: An Appreciative Inquiry into how Leadership Empowers Learning in Newsrooms

Whelan¹

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

<p>The field of journalism in New Zealand has gone through significant changes in the last few years, with the onset of digital technologies, their impact on the funding of journalism and on readership, and in turn on the way journalism is performed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand how leadership empowers learning in newsrooms and, in turn, contributes to the training and development of journalists. The intent here is to contribute to the constantly evolving field of journalism as it deals with the digital changes driving what is arguably the most concentrated period of change in its history. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) has typically been used in organisations to manifest positive change for people. However, for this study I have creatively adapted and applied the Appreciative Inquiry framework to situate qualitative research methods inside three newsrooms in New Zealand. Focus groups in each newsroom were comprised of individuals from different hierarchical levels of the workplace. As the lead researcher I led the groups who operated as co-researchers following the AI process of four phases comprising Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny seeking to understand how leadership empowers learning in newsrooms. The findings were initially drawn from an analysis of the themes which arose in the discussions. From the findings I use AI theory and adapt the AI process to propose a Relational Newsroom framework for use in newsrooms. By embedding newsroom groups constantly using the 4-D cycle of AI and involving the public in live interaction process with newsroom decision-making, the framework would generate practices of communication, trust, personal leadership and structure identified in the findings. This study concludes with proposals in the form of action statements for use in both news media and journalism school newsrooms to have journalists engaged and involved in creating the future of the field.</p>

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Integrating Learning and Work in the Newspaper Industry: A Comparative Study of Greek and Swiss Journalists

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

The Relational Newsroom: An Appreciative Inquiry into how Leadership Empowers Learning in Newsrooms

The Relational Newsroom: An Appreciative Inquiry into how Leadership Empowers Learning in Newsrooms

Human Resource Management in the Media

The Relational Newsroom: An Appreciative Inquiry into how Leadership Empowers Learning in Newsrooms

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