Abstract
Assertiveness is a fundamental type of behavior for the creation and maintenance of positive relationships at work and the facilitation of team functioning. Therefore, the promotion of assertiveness contributes to improving work performance, preventing harassment at work, facilitating the adoption of safe behaviors and making critical decisions in terms of occupational health and safety. However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of assertive training to train occupational health, safety and environment (OHSE) technicians to facilitate their work as agents of change in the attitudes and behaviors of other workers. Therefore, an assertive training was carried out to increase assertiveness and decrease social anxiety in this type of professional. The training effectiveness was evaluated following a pretest–posttest group design. The results from both a pilot study in a sample of 328 undergraduate students and a study in a sample of 155 OHSE technicians indicated that the training was effective in achieving both objectives. Moreover, Cohen’s d statistics suggest that the effect size was intermediate. These results are discussed with respect to their role in contributing to occupational health safety and environment practices as well as to the organizations’ sustainability.
Highlights
Social skills and assertiveness training can contribute to one of the most stimulating challenges that the European Commission (EC) has to face on its way to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030: ensuring a socially just transition to a sustainable economy [1].To meet this challenge, the EC prioritizes social investment, one of the uses of which is an investment in human capital under the slogan “prepare rather than repair”; in other words, to prevent the consequences of the new social risks arising from the post-industrial society, which can be summarized as a lack of income and services [2]
The EC prioritizes social investment, one of the uses of which is an investment in human capital under the slogan “prepare rather than repair”; in other words, to prevent the consequences of the new social risks arising from the post-industrial society, which can be summarized as a lack of income and services [2]
Based on the idea that assertive messages are more persuasive in promoting healthy and sustainable behaviors, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of assertiveness training for occupational health, safety and environment (OHSE) professionals, who are agents of change in the attitudes and behaviors of other workers [12]
Summary
Social skills and assertiveness training can contribute to one of the most stimulating challenges that the European Commission (EC) has to face on its way to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030: ensuring a socially just transition to a sustainable economy [1].To meet this challenge, the EC prioritizes social investment, one of the uses of which is an investment in human capital under the slogan “prepare rather than repair”; in other words, to prevent the consequences of the new social risks arising from the post-industrial society, which can be summarized as a lack of income and services [2]. Precarious employment, long-term unemployment, and the impossibility of balancing work and family are sources of poverty and social exclusion [3,4,5], so it is necessary to act before this happens; before people become vulnerable, it is necessary to invest in the development of their skills and the efficient use of them, so that they can cope with market transformations and have better opportunities to participate in society and the labor market [6] In this regard, in May 2018, the Council of the European Union revised the 2006. Social skills and assertiveness training play a pivotal role in learning and developing such competences
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