McPherson College has given its Citation of Merit awards to pastor Jean Lichty Hendricks, university leader Larry Martin and Roberta Strickler, an advocate for the disadvantaged.
The Citation of Merit is the college’s highest award, and is given to the college’s most distinguished alumni for lifetime accomplishments in service to profession, community, church and to McPherson College.
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas researchers Kristie Rogers and Niki den Nieuwenboer, assistant professors of organizational behavior in the School of Business, are available to speak with media about management implications for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Research suggests March Madness costs businesses millions in lost wages. An estimated 3 million U.S. employees will spend one to three hours at work watching the games, and two-thirds of all workers will follow the tournament at some point during work hours.
Q: Is there an advantage to celebrating March Madness in the workplace?
Rogers: March Madness provides an opportunity for workgroups to build a cohesive culture by celebrating something that excites employees, which can increase employees’ commitment and attachment to their co-workers and the organization. This is consistent with what researchers call a “clan culture,” which is people-focused, collaborative and may even be described as “family-like.”
Many employees tend to value such cultures, and their commitment pays dividends for the organization far beyond the month of March when relationships are stronger between colleagues and between the employee and his or her organization.
One recent example is the firm Edward Jones, which works to maintain a clan culture by celebrating a variety of events at work. The company was rated No. 4 of Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For in 2014 and No. 6 in 2015, and it has one of the lowest turnover rates in the financial industry at just 8 percent.
Q: What does the tournament illustrate about workplace ethics?
Nieuwenboer: If people spend time watching games while at work without their employer’s knowledge or consent, this would be an example of “cyberloafing,” which is defined as any voluntary act of employees using their companies’ Internet access during office hours to surf non job-related websites for personal purposes.
Cyberloafing essentially comes down to what we call time theft: Employees are stealing time — and therefore money — from their companies because they are spending working time doing non work-related things. Companies should be somewhat flexible about allowing employees to spend time doing non-work related things, but as our daily lives increasingly take on online formats (online banking, shopping, news, watching television), companies have to compete for their employees’ attention while at work more and more.
Q: How can managers balance the need for productivity with the value of a positive work environment?
Nieuwenboer: The question is how much is too much cyberloafing. Watching entire games online might just be too much of a good thing. It’s important for companies to be clear about what they expect of their employees. Companies may want their managers to agree on how much distraction is acceptable and what is too much.
Q: Do employees make up time for spent cyberloafing?
Nieuwenboer: Research suggests employees tend to engage in a rationalization we call “metaphor of the ledger.” They justify doing something bad — cyberloafing — by pointing out that they also already, in the past, did something good (e.g., working overtime without pay). It is as if people earn “good credits” by going good that they spend on bad things.
Q: The digital nature of work blurs boundaries between work and personal life. How does that factor during March Madness?
Rogers: Employees value autonomy in their jobs, or the freedom to influence their work environment, and feel independent in how they carry out their tasks. In general, those who have enough autonomy to make the choice between watching a game or focusing on their job during work hours are the same individuals who are salaried and often managed by deliverables rather than hourly productivity. This means that whether they spend two hours of their afternoon concentrating on their work or keeping tabs on a game, their deadlines and deliverables remain the same.
In other words, the work doesn’t just go away. This is why a workday filled with distractions often means an evening of working from home, or an early morning in the office to make up for it.
To schedule an interview with Kristie Rogers or Niki den Nieuwenboer, contact Austin Falley at 785-864-3852 or [email protected].
https://news.ku.edu/2015/03/
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Research and Extension is offering these events, available to all interested persons. For more information about these, as well as more localized events, check with your local K-State Research and Extension office.
* March 17 – Foreign Animal Disease Workshop – Minneapolis – 785-564-6608 or [email protected]
* March 17 – Feral Hog Information Session – Hammond – 620-223-3720 or 913-795-2829
* March 19 – Planning for Farm & Ranch Succession – Iola – http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/kams
* March 25 – Low-Stress Handling Workshop – Salina – 785-392-2147 or [email protected]
* April 1 – Pie and Coffee Series on Beef Cattle – Saint Paul – 620-365-2242
* June 5-6 – SW Kansas Women in Agriculture: Operators, Managers, Marketers – Garden City – 620-272-3670 or [email protected]
* June 10-13 – Animal Science Leadership Academy – Manhattan – [email protected] – Application
* June 17-20 – Animal Science Leadership Academy – Manhattan – [email protected] – Application
* Aug. 20-21 – Risk and Profit Conference – Manhattan – 785-532-1504 or [email protected]
MANHATTAN, Kan. – From behind the lens of a high-powered camera, Jim Richardson, photographer
for National Geographic, gives Kansans a new focus on the world of agriculture. Lecturing on March
18 at 7 p.m. in the Kansas State University Union Little Theatre, Richardson will take viewers on a
visual journey, zooming in on “Feeding a Hungry Planet”.
Celebrating March as Kansas Agriculture Month, the Kansas Department of Agriculture and many
agricultural sponsors and organizations across the state have joined together to host Richardson.
Being well-traveled, Richardson has seen hunger around the world, and understands the importance
of meeting the need to feed a growing population.
Following Richardson’s lecture, a panel of Kansas agriculture experts will take the stage to address
Kansas’ role in feeding a hungry planet. Agriculture is Kansas’ largest sector, contributing a total of
$53 million to the economy. Ranking number one in the country in wheat and grain sorghum
production, Kansas agriculturalists work diligently to feed the world. Eric Atkinson, radio specialist
and agriculture director for the K-State Radio Network will serve as moderator for the panel.
The event is open to the public and we encourage all seeking to know more about where their food
comes from and how it travels from the farm to the fork to attend. Please direct questions about the
event to Beth Gaines, Kansas Department of Agriculture at: [email protected].
This event is part of Kansas Ag Month celebrations, including the Neighbor to Neighbor Food Drive,
happening around the state to help our neighbors in need as well as highlight the agriculture industry
in Kansas.
Kansas Agriculture Month sponsors include: the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas
Association of Ethanol Processors, Frontier Farm Credit, Heritage Tractor Inc., Kans
as Agribusiness
Retailers Association, Kansas Corn Commission, Kansas Cotton Commission, Kansas Grain and
Feed Association, Kanas Pork Association, Kansas Wheat Commission, Livestock Marketing
Association, Kansas Dairy Association, Dairy Farmers of America, Seaboard, Kansas Soybean,
Kansas Beef Council, Ardent Mills, Kansas Bankers Association and Kanas Sorghum.
For more information about Ag Month celebrations please go to www.agriculture.ks.gov/ksagday
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