This research investigates the impact of ‘Trust’ on bank-customer relationship management in the Nigerian banking industry, and its roles on their performances over the years. The study is interpretive in nature and involves the conduct of thirteen (13) in-depth interviews on the subject-matter, with banks’ customers in Gombe, Nigeria. It shows that a relationship does exist between Trust, Relationship Marketing and Banks’ Performance indicators. The study also found that trust will change in terms of its influence and effects over the lifecycle of relationship development. It identifies various aspects of trust in banking and they include: Trust in bank’s liquidity position, promise fulfilments, communication systems, staffs, service delivery processes, online systems and physical and cyber security apparatus. These could serve as useful tools for decision making in the banking system. This paper has contributed to the relationship marketing literature by ascertaining the positive role of trust in relationship building and the resultant positive impacts on customer’s retention and bank’s profitability. Various aspects of bank’s trust were also identified for the first time.

Purpose- High-skilled employees are crucial for sustained competitive advantage of organisations. In the "war for talent", organisations must position themselves as attractive employers. This study introduces a unified framework to systematically identify and prioritise Organisational Attractiveness (OA) components, focusing on the extreme context of the airline industry. Design/methodology/approach- Treating OA as a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) situation, the study employs the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to validate key OA factors and the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to prioritise them based on experts’ judgements. Findings- The study identifies five criteria and 22 sub-criteria for OA, with job characteristics and person-job fit as most critical. These elements signal employment quality and skill-job alignment, reducing information asymmetry and attracting talent. Findings- The study identifies five criteria and 22 sub-criteria for OA, with job characteristics and person-job fit as most critical. These elements signal employment quality and skill-job alignment, reducing information asymmetry and attracting talent. Practical implications- This research provides a practical framework for airline managers to identify and prioritise key aspects of OA to enhance their value proposition and attract and retain qualified employees. For policymakers, applying the OA framework supports informed policy decisions on employment standards and workforce development. Originality- This research introduces a fuzzy OA index and a framework that enhances OA. By incorporating signalling theory into a fuzzy MCDM approach, it systematically addresses key OA components, offering a strategic method to boost OA.

This article investigates the challenges and opportunities for banks during the unexpected global crisis of the coronavirus pandemic and how they have developed innovative marketing strategies to retain existing customers while attracting new ones. It features a meticulous synthesis of primary and secondary data. Specifically, 24 semi-structured interviews and 1 focus group discussion were conducted, on the perspectives of both customers and banks. These were supported by data from Bloomberg and other secondary data. This article establishes that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided unique opportunities for banks to retain existing customers while attracting new ones. It highlights various activities that have helped banks improve their brand image, growth, profitability, and sustainability during the disaster. It identifies the critical elements of sustainability during the pandemic from the banks’ perspectives. It also demonstrates different customer expectations, including further reduction of interest rates on loans, extending loan repayment periods and implementing a COVID-19 sensitization campaign among the public. The study offers novel insights on the topic by demonstrating that there are inherent opportunities in such a global crisis, despite the associated challenges. In such a situation, banks must reposition their strategies to survive the crisis while supporting and attracting existing and prospective customers.

While the debates concerning work-life balance continue to proliferate among employees of traditional organisations, its importance for students cannot be ignored. This article is based on interviews with 21 single student-mothers who are enrolled in full-time study at university and have other non-academic roles to fulfil. It examines the challenges, consequences, and coping mechanisms of single student-mothers involved in meeting the demands of their multiple roles. The findings highlight the nature of single student-mothers’ work-life balance, lives, and role challenges as well as the consequences of combining multiple competing roles. The findings of this study show that single student-mothers struggle to combine their multiple roles and achieve work-life balance. The study highlights the importance of familial and social support as well as the ‘sister keeper’ initiative in fulfilling multiple role demand and in creating a satisfactory balance between single student-mothers’ different spheres of life. Some recommendations are given for students and university policymakers to address the needs of the growing number of single student-mothers.

Purpose: This study draws on social stigma and prejudice to examine the perceptions and beliefs of managers and employees regarding visible tattoos and body piercings, as well as the impact they have on potential employment and human resource management in the global South, using Nigeria as the research context. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a qualitative research approach, drawing on data from 43 semi-structured interviews with employees and managers in Nigeria. Findings: Contrary to the popular opinion that tattoos and body piercings are becoming more accepted and mainstream in society, this study finds that some Nigerian employers and employees may stigmatise and discriminate against people with visible tattoos and body piercings. The findings of this study suggest that beliefs about tattoos are predicated on ideologies as well as religious and sociocultural values, which then influence corporate values. Research limitations/implications: The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the limited sample and scope of the research. Practical implications: Religious and sociocultural preconceptions about people with visible tattoos and body piercings have negative implications for the recruitment and employment of such people and could prevent organisations from hiring and keeping talented employees. This implies that talented employees might experience prejudice at job interviews, preventing them from gaining employment. Furthermore, stigmatising and discriminating against people with visible tattoos and body piercings may lead to the termination of employment of talented employees, which could negatively affect organisational productivity and growth. Originality/value: This study provides an insight into the employment relations regarding tattoos and body piercing in Nigeria. The study highlights the need for mild beliefs and positive perceptions about people with visible tattoos and unconventional body piercings. There should be a general tolerance of the individual preference for body art and physical appearance, and this tolerance should be incorporated in organisational policies, which are enactments of corporate culture.

Purpose: Recent gender-related research has focused on how gender affects work–life balance (WLB), particularly whether men and women have similar difficulties balancing work and family demands. However, to broaden WLB research beyond its concentration on employees to a different population, this study investigates the WLB experiences of single student-working mothers. Design/methodology/approach: This article uses a qualitative study using three focus groups to compare Nigerian and British single student-working mothers' WLB experiences and coping strategies or mechanisms adopted in these two contexts. Findings: The findings indicate that, regardless of nationality, single student-working mothers are affected by inter-role conflict, role ambiguity, role strain, role overload and external role pressures, which make achieving WLB a herculean task. Nevertheless, given the different political, economic and socio-cultural landscapes of the two countries, the extent to which the aforementioned factors impact single student-working mothers varies and influences the range of coping mechanisms adopted in the two contexts. Practical implications: The insights gleaned from this study suggest that there are huge challenges for single student-working mothers in terms of achieving WLB due to their status as students, workers and mothers. Combining these roles negatively affect their WLB and level of productivity and effectiveness, at home, at work and at university. This poses significant implications for human resource structures, policies and practices. The authors suggest that single student-mothers should learn from their counterparts' experiences and coping mechanisms, and that organisations and government should also provide adequate support to help them combine their challenging roles. This would ease the tension associated with combining multiple roles and enhance their well-being and WLB. Originality/value: The study calls for a re-examination of WLB policies and practices at organisational and national levels to ensure that single student-working mothers are well supported to enhance their productivity and WLB.

Purpose: The extant literature on work–life balance (WLB) has generally overlooked the interrelationship between leadership and WLB. Does leadership have any impact on employees' use of WLB policies and practices? To answer this question, this article considers the social exchange theory as well as transformational and transactional leadership in an investigation of the impact of leadership on WLB. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs qualitative data from 32 semi-structured interviews to achieve the study’s objectives. Findings: The research reveals that leadership does matter in WLB. The study findings reveal that both the transactional and transformational leadership styles result in the establishment of strong reciprocal relationships between leaders and employees in terms of using WLB policies and practices. Managers only sanction the use of WLB policies and practices only as a reward for excellent performance or when they are completely sure the outcome will favour the organisation. The study concludes that the desire to achieve WLB has often led many employees to go the extra mile in carrying out their work duties, which is rewarded with an approval to use WLB policies and practices. These non-contractual exchanges emphasise reciprocity and are based on trust. Research limitations/implications: The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the size and nature of the research sample. Practical implications: Many managers are transactional leaders, and they purposefully allow their employees to use WLB policies and practices only as a reward for meeting targets and for excellent performance. This means that employees who fall short of the required targets and expected performance are not permitted to use WLB policies and practices. This finding implies that such employees experience incessant work–family conflict, which may have negative implications for their work engagement, overall well-being and work performance. Originality/value: This study demonstrates that leadership is relevant to WLB. It shows that transformational leadership is supportive of WLB, as it considers employees' work performance and non-work outcomes. The results and practical implications of this study aids the understanding of the non-contractual exchanges involved in manager–employee relationships, which is crucial for ensuring employees' achievement of WLB and for organisations to achieve their goals.

Using ‘digital place making’ as the conceptual framework, I propose that digital space can strengthen social connections as a digital social infrastructure. With a conceptual discussion on space, place and people interacting within them as well as a review of existing evidence, I offer three policy insights on digital place making as below: First, digital place as a social infrastructure can act as a bridge between different physical spaces improving inclusivity and strengthening the social fabric tying together diverse groups within communities. For example, community apps such as NextDoor help to facilitate interactions in physical spaces. Policies on digital social infrastructure building should focus on its constructive role in creating bridges between physical spaces instead of substituting digital for physical space. Secondly, for digital infrastructure to be a social infrastructure to strengthen social cohesion, it should bridge people within the spaces. The increasing salience of digitalisation has created problems of exclusivity. Rural communities or older people, for example, may be less likely to find digital social infrastructure accessible. Policymakers should tackle the ‘digital divide’ that makes some community members less able to access digital tools and services to utilise digital social infrastructure to strengthen communities and places. Lastly, policymaking on digital social infrastructure needs to consider how to bridge different levels of resources for a shared goal and learning. National level of policy strategy can focus on combining evidence and good practice at local level with provision of appropriate resources such as guidance, toolkit and platforms for knowledge sharing.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple perspectives on managerial coaching: why and how managers engage, employees and human resource development (HRD) professionals’ perspectives on the use and how HRD and managers can better support each other with it. Design/methodology/approach This study used secondary analysis of empirical data already collected through a transnational study from 20 different medium-size to large organisations in the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. For this study, 58 interviews referring to coaching were analysed from 18 of these organisations, from these 3 different countries and from 3 stakeholder groups: managers, employees and HRD professionals. Findings Findings show that managers perform a variety of “on the job” informal coaching roles and that HRD professionals lead the more formal aspects. Managers felt that HRD support was limited and hoped for more. A limited number of employees mentioned coaching, but those that did highlighted the different types of coaching they received in the workplace, referring to managers but with little recognition of HRD’s role. HRD professionals shared how they support managers through both informal and formal coaching approaches, but this was not fully acknowledged by neither managers nor employees. Practical implications The findings of this study contribute to the literature on devolved HRD practices, highlighting that managers are engaging more in managerial coaching with their teams, that potentially employees are not that aware of this and that managers and employees are not fully aware of HRD’s contribution to supporting coaching and feel they could do more. As a result, this study suggests that HRD professionals have a clear role to play in creating and leading the supportive organisational culture for coaching to thrive, not only in setting the “coaching scene” for managers to work within but also through offering support for long-term capacity building for all employees. Originality/value Through the diffusion of key HRD activities into managerial roles, and while internal coaching is gaining more momentum, managers now step up when coaching their teams. This study extends the limited prior research on managers’ and others’ (employees and HRD) beliefs about the coaching role in the workplace. This study highlights the changing role of the manager, the need for HRD to offer more support for the joint role that managers are taking (manager and coach) and the partnership potential for HRD professionals to include all stakeholders including employees.