Exploring the effective use of self rostering: a contingent approach

Self rostering is an innovative work time scheduling system that is premised on meeting the
growing demand for an individualized approach towards managing human resources in Western
Europe. Despite the system’s acknowledged advantages, it has been noted in literature that
inconsistencies in its prevalence and effectiveness exist. These inconsistencies are
characterized by- the failure and success of the work system once implemented; and the
difference in magnitude of the work system’s adoption in the health sector and the
manufacturing sector. This stimulates one to probe (i) what makes this system effective so as to
cushion the unpredictability of the outcome of implementing self rostering as well as to (ii)
discover why the work system seems to show a higher prevalence in the health sector than the
manufacturing sector so as to discover how applicable it is in different sectors.
This research investigated this problem by exploring the factors which affect the effectiveness of
self rostering thus seeking to bring to light a set of factors that would serve as a guide to
organizations that wish to implement the self rostering work system. In addition to this, the
research tried to find out whether the found factors were more prevalent in the health sector and
thus the reason for the higher magnitude of self rostering in that sector.
Method
These factors were sought by using both secondary data in the form of literature review and
primary data in the form of qualitative expert interviews to confirm and add to what was found in
the secondary data.
Results
The findings from both secondary and primary data revealed that some factors assumed by
current literature are viewed as insignificant by practicing experts, while others were duly
acknowledged as determinants of effective self rostering. Further, the research also brought to
light new factors that were proposed by the experts. The following were the factors that arose in
the research:
· Factors based solely on literature- Gender and Organizational structure.
· Factors assumed by both literature and experts- External environmental pressures; the
adaptation period; Type of employee; Type of manager; Size of the self rostering group;
Organization’s power relations; Level of collegiality; Individual focus; Employee’s level
of knowledge about the self rostering system; Heterogeneity and homogeneity within the
self rostering group.
· Factors based solely on expert opinion- Adequacy in communication about how the
system works; Initial employee acceptance of the work system; The use of a pre-pilot
and post-pilot measurement scheme; Gradual introduction of the system; Availability of
supportive self rostering technical solutions/ software.
Exploring the effective use of self rostering
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All the found factors were considered as factors that affect self rostering in general and thus
were important for any organization intending to implement this system irrespective of the
sector.
However, despite acknowledging the found factors, the research through expert interviews also
discovered that the prevailing higher magnitude of self rostering in the health sector does not
imply that this sector has more of these found factors. Nevertheless, this higher prevalence is a
result of a somewhat larger demand for attraction and retention mechanisms and an existing
individualistic culture in this sector which has led to a mere faster progression rate of the
system’s adoption.
Conclusion
The factors raised in the research were conclusively regarded as essential for organizations that
intend to achieve effective results upon implementing the self rostering work system. However,
these factors are helpful in explaining the effectiveness of the work system and not its adoption.
Therefore, they cannot be directly associated to the higher prevalence of the work system in the
health sector as this sector boasts a higher magnitude of the system’s adoption but also faces
effectiveness problems due to the lack of the given factors. It was thus concluded that self
rostering effectiveness is achievable in other sectors such as the manufacturing sector for as
long as the factors raised were present but was merely higher in prevalence in the health sector.

Topic: Scheduling and Timetabling Solutions
Subfield: Management Science and Operations Research
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences