Outsourcing affects thousands of companies and employees every year. Recent studies indicate that 85 per cent of all companies outsource at least one function generating billions of dollars in outsourcing contracts (ElmutiElute, KathwalaKithara & Monippallil, 1995). Transportation is one of outsourcing's biggest players. Many outsourcing attempts have proved unsuccessful and recent articles blame these failures on failed outsourcing relationships. This paper addresses these failed relationships and suggests two possible solutions to the problem. The first solution is to diagnose the relationship from both sides of the contract. The second suggestion is to engage agency theory to help design the types of contracts and relationships necessary to provide and support an environment of trust.
This paper reports the results of a randomized field experiment that tested the effects of an empowerment intervention among unit managers of a large trucking company. The intervention was designed to increase participants' beliefs in their personal control and self-efficacy with regard to key aspects of their jobs. Individuals who managed geographically dispersed profit centres were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (N = 38) or a no-treatment control group (N = 30). The intervention significantly increased perceptions of maintenance control and impact at four months after the intervention, but only for those managers who felt that their supervisors were supportive. The intervention also improved archival measures of unit performance and affected work attitudes (depending upon the level of perceived supervisory support). The data point out the key role that perceived supervisor social support plays when implementing such organizational change interventions. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2007.
This article reports the results of a randomized field experiment that tested the effects of a control-enhancing stress intervention among unit managers of a trucking company. Individuals who managed geographically dispersed profit centers were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (N = 34) or a no-intervention group (N = 30). The intervention increased perceptions of control after 4 months, but only for those managers with supportive supervisors.In conjunction with supervisory support, the intervention produced improvements in job satisfaction, but not general well-being outcomes. The impact of the intervention and supervisory support on satisfaction was fully mediated by control perceptions.
Malignant hyperthermia is an uncommon, heritable condition triggered by anesthesia and is followed by an increase in temperature that may be fatal without prompt treatment. It is rare with desflurane and in black individuals of African descent. We present a case of malignant hyperthermia in an African-American patient during desflurane anesthesia.
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