Blue Collar Research Articles

THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ON JOB SATISFACTION AND ITS EFFECT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

The purpose of this research was to analyze the role of employee engagement from the perspective of job engagement and organization engagement on job satisfaction and its effect on organizational performance. This research was conducted at a multinational manufacturing chemicals company located in Tangerang and Cilegon. The population was approximately 121 employees consisting of three job levels: Manager, White Collar, and Blue Collar. A target sample determined approximately 93 employees. Sampling using a non-probability sampling approach with a quota sampling method. The questionnaire was distributed to the population, but only 86 respondents filled out and returned the questionnaire. Method of hypothesis testing using Partial Least Square of Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The results suggested that job engagement has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction but does not significantly affect organizational performance. Next, organization engagement has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction but does not significantly affect organizational performance. Furthermore, job satisfaction has a positive effect and significantly influences organizational performance. Future research is advisable to examine the relations of other variables such as workload, work-life balance, and implementation of an integrated management system, which, believed, can provide a comprehensive view of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational performance.

Linkages between PISA Results and E-Working

The PISA tests are considered as a quality measurement for education. If it is so, then their high results might influence the proportion between blue and white collars. As the intellectually demanding functions can be more easily executed over the internet, in a long term, this fact should be reflected in a growing proportion of e-working. To study this assumption, we examine adopting e-working within selected thirty-five countries. Research questions were formed as follows: Is there a demonstrable influence of favorable PISA results on the overall rates of e-working in certain states? Is it possible to sustain different components with e-working? Can appropriate e-working legislation contribute to the overall rates of e-working at a state’s level? Our study adopted Spearman’s Rho correlation using 4 numerical variables to measure the strength of association between pairs of variables – the proportion of e-working and four country’s PISA averages in Mathematics, Science, Reading and Financial Literacy. Its results indicate a positive correlation: the probability of e-working increases with the PISA results growth. Further, Qualitative Content Analysis was used. Based on our data e-working will not go away and it is time to update law on e-working. Governments should formalize rights and duties. Face-to-display work is likely to be an unstoppable evolution at workplace. These components affected higher e-workability. These results draw attention to how e-working is becoming major element in common life with some challenges and difficulties and that we need to study these two influencer factors in order to optimize its arrangements. Doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-01277 Full Text: PDF

Analysis of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Contact Sensitization with respect to the Occupational Profiles in a Greek Patient Cohort: A Retrospective Analysis of a Greek Referral Centre and Future Perspectives.

Contact dermatitis is a frequent skin disorder related to environmental and occupational etiological factors, which could potentially affect all age groups, as well as both genders. The current study is aimed at exploring the patterns of contact sensitization with respect to the population's occupational patterns in Greece. A retrospective analysis was performed in a cohort of 1978 patients from 2014 to 2016. Patients were divided into two categories; blue collars (BlC) and white collars (WhC), as well as detailed occupation was considered. Separation was performed on the basis of their profession, i.e., labor workers and handicraftsmen were sorted to the BlC group, while office employees were sorted to the WhC group. The common allergen in all occupational subgroups was nickel sulphate. The three most prevalent allergens in both BlC and WhC were nickel sulphate 5%, fragrance mix (I) 8%, and Balsam of Peru 25%. WhC males were uniquely sensitized to colophony 20% and formaldehyde 2%, and WhC females were uniquely sensitized to 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one (CMIT) and neomycin sulphate 20%. Sensitization to allergens manifested occupation-specific patterns. Allergic contact dermatitis surveillance is of great importance towards the clinical and systematic understanding of the disease, especially with respect to the patient's occupational profile.

The neo‐nationalist ascendency: further thoughts on class, value and the return of the repressed

The neo‐nationalist ascendency: further thoughts on class, value and the return of the repressed

Disparities in Depression Status Among Different Industries in Transition Economy: A Cross-Sectional Study of Mongolia.

Transition economies tend to rely on rapid growth of specific industries and hence often leads to disparities in health status among the working population. This study aims to determine the depression status in different industries and occupational groups in Mongolia, a country that is experiencing an economic transition. We conducted a cross-sectional survey between July and September 2018 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. A total of 1784 employees from 22 private and public companies were enrolled in this study. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to determine the severity of depression. Prevalence of depression is evaluated using weighted analysis. The association between occupational groups (white, blue, and pink collars), industries, and PHQ-9 score was analyzed using linear regression. In multiple regression, the workers in the transportation, public administration, and education industries exhibited the highest depression scores (P < .001). Traditional variables such as age, sex, and marital status remained significant predictors in our model. Industrial types should not be overlooked in identifying depression in the working population. This is especially true for a transition economy like Mongolia. Analysis by industries is essential to promote stress management in the future among vulnerable groups in specific industries.

Abstract P210: Cognitive Testing During Mild Acute Ischemic Stroke Predicts Return to Work, Driving, and Good Functional Outcome at 3 Months

Introduction: Many patients after a mild ischemic stroke (IS) do not return to work or driving. Cognitive testing is commonly done to assess long-term cognitive impairment after IS. However, inpatient cognitive testing during the acute period of mild IS may also be a predictor for workforce reengagement and functional outcome. Methods: At our comprehensive stroke center, we prospectively enrolled previously working adults age &lt;65 years who were diagnosed with first-ever IS, had a prestroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤1 and NIHSS ≤3. Testing performed within 1 week of IS included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), Clock Drawing Test, Trail Making Tests A and B, Backward Digit Span Test, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Other data obtained included age, gender, years of education, occupation (blue collar or white collar), stroke location (cortical, subcortical, or posterior fossa), stroke laterality, and presence of white matter disease on imaging. Outcome measures assessed at 3 months post stroke included return to work, return to driving, and mRS ≤1. In a logistic regression analysis, we performed both univariate and multivariate analyses. Multivariate analysis was completed on variables p ≤0.05 in the univariate analysis. Results: Of 40 total IS patients enrolled (median [IQR] age 55 [46-60] years; 22.5% female), 36 completed 3-month follow up. 58% returned to work, 78% returned to driving, and 72% had mRS of 0-1 at 3 months. In multivariate analysis, a single point increase in the Clock Drawing Test score increased the odds of return to work by 3.79 (95% CI, 1.10-14.14) and return to driving by 6.74 (95% CI, 1.22-37.23). MOCA and HADS were both associated with mRS ≤1. Conclusion: Clock Drawing Test in the acute period after mild IS may predict early return to work and driving at 3 months. MOCA and HADS may also predict good functional outcome. These tools can potentially be used for prognosis and identifying those who may benefit from further interventions.

“I just gotta have tough skin”: Women's experiences working in the oil and gas industry in Canada✰

Women remain vastly underrepresented in the oil and gas workforce. As such, they are subject to gender-based discrimination and harassment, perpetuated by a hyper masculine work culture, yet little is known about their experiences working on the front lines. Guided by feminist interpretive inquiry, the purpose of this research was to understand the experiences of young women in blue collar and administrative positions within the oil and gas industry, in a small Canadian town. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 women ages 18–30 between February 2018 and March 2019. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic content analysis, and findings were validated by a Local Advisory Committee. Participating women experienced gender-based discrimination and harassment. Still, many women enjoyed their work, took pride in defying gender-based expectations, and tended to persevere by having ‘tough skin’. Women's coping mechanisms tended to reinforce the masculine culture that perpetuates the gender-based challenges they face. Findings suggest that industry practices must adapt to create a safe and inclusive workplace.

Blue Collar Booms and American Mortality: Evidence from US Counties

We exploit the positive labor demand shocks driven by the fracking boom to investigate whether a long-run increase in economic opportunities reduces deaths of despair. Within a difference-in-differences analysis using variation in geological characteristics amenable to fracking, we demonstrate that fracking produces a sizeable increase in earnings and employment, especially for prime-aged males, while deaths of despair decline for young men, driven by suicides. Our estimates imply that fracking led to a 14% decline in male suicides in boom counties. These findings are not driven by differential trends in mortality unrelated to the fracking boom or confounding factors like migration.

An Exploration of the Deterrents to Adult Basic Education Among Blue Collar Workers

This phenomenological study explored how blue collar workers employed in a north Mississippi manufacturing facility described their reasons for not participating in adult basic education (ABE) when nonparticipation would result in termination. The structure of the ABE classes was designed to reduce the costs and time constraints to participation. A group of 8 respondents constituted the sample from a population of 23 nonparticipating workers and maximal variation sampling was used to increase gender, race, and age diversity within the sample. Three major themes emerged as deterrents to participation: (a) Test of Adult Basic Education and ABE classes were not perceived as relevant, (b) fear of embarrassment, and (c) low self-efficacy (i.e., a self-perceived lack of capability to perform successfully). However, lack of relevancy and fear of embarrassment were found to be used as reasons for nonparticipation when low self-efficacy in learning new material, reading, and math problem solving were present.

Study of Luxembourg workplaces shows diversity has negative impact on job satisfaction

PurposePrevious studies examined the effects of diversity according to gender, race and age, whereas the present study focused on nationality. The authors wanted to find out the impact of workplace diversity on job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis relied on two data sources. The first was the 2013 survey of “Working Conditions and the Quality of Work Life” in Luxembourg. The sampling plan was based on data from Luxembourg’s social security administration. There were four variables: The first was the size of the firm (less than 15 employees, between 15 and 49, and more than 50). The second was employee status (blue collar worker, or employee). The other variables were gender and age.FindingsResults showed workplace diversity has a negative impact on job satisfaction. But the data also revealed job satisfaction increased for the minority nationalities when a certain threshold for diversity was reached. The authors said this might be because when there were enough workers “like themselves”, satisfaction grew.Originality/valueThe authors said their study would become increasingly important as globalization increased the proportion of foreign workers inside firms. They said that from a managerial perspective, it was crucial to know if national diversity was linked to employees’ attitudes.

The relationship between working hours and the intention to quit smoking in male office workers: data from the 7th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2017).

BackgroundThe intention to quit smoking is one of the most important factors in smoking cessation. Long working hours is also a constant issue, and many studies have shown an association between the working hours and diseases, including cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. This study evaluated the relationship between working hours and the intention to quit smoking among Korean male office workers, and blue collar workers for comparison.MethodsThis study was based on the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2017). A total of 1,389 male workers were smokers, and then office workers and blue collar workers were selected. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for the intention to quit smoking according to smoking-related characteristics and working hours after adjusting for age group, body mass index (kg/m2), marital status, household income (quartile), educational level, drinking, exercise, smoking-related characteristics (smoking initiation age, smoking amount, and attempt to quit smoking more than 1day in the past year) and working hours.ResultsThe percentage of workers who had the intention to quit smoking in 6 months was higher in office workers (38.9% for office workers and 29.4% for blue collars, p = 0.017). Blue collar workers had higher percentages of workers who worked more than 52 hours per week (19.8% for office workers and 38.9% for blue collar workers, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that working > 52 hours per week was significantly associated with a lower intention to quit smoking within 6 months among male office workers (OR = 0.30, 95% confidence interval = 0.14–0.66).ConclusionsWorking more than 52 hours per week was positively related with a lower intention to quit smoking among currently smoking male office workers. Further studies are needed considering more work-related variables such as job stress and physical load.

A qualitative study on attitude towards smoking, quitting and tobacco control policies among current smokers of different socio-economic status.

Introduction:Tobacco consumed as smoke and smokeless forms is an important preventable public health issue projected to be the single largest cause of mortality worldwide. The aim of the study was to qualitatively assess the attitudes towards smoking, quitting and tobacco control policies among current smokers of different socio-economic status.Materials and Methods:An in-depth interview for 10 current smokers and a focus group discussion comprising of 10 current smokers was conducted with a guide and moderator which was audio recorded. About 6, 8 and 6 subjects from white collar, blue collar, and black collar employee status participated in the study. Their tobacco consumption and dependence using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence scale (FTNDS) was assessed.Results:About 50% of the participants had low; 30% had moderate and 20% had high nicotine dependency. Most of the participants started smoking by peer influence and continued as it made them to socialize. Relapses during their quit attempt was mainly due to work stress. Participants heard about the control of tobacco act but were unsure of the features in it. They perceived that no changes will happen if government bans production and selling of tobacco products. Also anti-tobacco commercials in social media will have no use. Nicotine replacement therapy may help in quitting the habit.Conclusion:The study concluded that people in low socio-economic status had high nicotine dependency with inadequate knowledge on tobacco control policies. They strongly believe that an individual's self-restrain only can succeed him in quitting the habit.

AFET VE SALGINLARDA ÇALIŞANLAR: DÜNYA COVİD-19 PANDEMİSİ ÖRNEĞİ

The purpose of the study is to reveal the psychology of the employees with positive and negative aspects, with positive psychology ownership, stress, anxiety and depression symptom levels, during the time period when the Covid-19 epidemic effects that emerged in China and spread all over the world in December 2019. The research sample consists of 402 blue and white collar employees. DASO (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) and Psychological Capital Scale were used as data collection tools. Study data were analyzed with SPSS 22 program. As a result of the analysis; while the positive psychological capital levels of the employees were found to be at a high level, their stress symptom levels were found to be higher than their anxiety and depression symptom levels. It has been determined that the psychological capital levels of the employees differ according to age and income groups. Likewise, it was concluded that the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms differed statistically significantly in terms of gender, marital status, educational status, age and income groups.

Health and Aging Before and after Retirement

In this paper, we investigate health and aging before and after retirement for specific occupational groups. We use five waves of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) dataset and construct a frailty index for elderly men and women from 10 European countries. We classify occupation by low vs. high education, blue vs. white collar color, and by high vs. low physical or psychosocial job burden. Controlling for individual fixed effects, we find that, regardless of the used classification, workers from the first (low status) group display more health deficits at any age and accumulate health deficits faster than workers from the second (high status) group. We instrument retirement by statutory retirement ages (normal and early) and find that the health of workers in low status occupations benefits greatly from retirement, whereas retirement effects for workers in high status occupations are small and frequently insignificant. We also find that workers from low status occupations accumulate health deficits faster after retirement, i.e. we find evidence for an occupational health gradient that widens with increasing age, before and after retirement.

Passthrough of Firm Performance to Income and Employment Stability

To what extent do firms pass through idiosyncratic shocks to their workers? In this paper, we investigate this question focusing on passthrough to income for workers that stay in the firm and passthrough to employment stability. We take an empirical approach and use matched employer-employee data from Denmark, three different measures of firm performance (sales, value added, and value added per worker), and two measures of income (earnings and hourly wages). We distinguish between unemployment and job-to-job transitions. We find that passthrough to income is much higher for permanent (5-9 percent) than transitory (1 percent) shocks. Income passthrough is higher for blue collar workers and workers in small firms. On the employment margin, we find that worse firm performance increases both unemployment and job-to-job transitions. The unemployment risk is especially pronounced for blue collar, low-educated, low tenure workers, while the effect on job-to-job transitions is larger for managers and high-educated workers. We also find clear evidence of non-linearities with negative shocks driving both unemployment and job-to-job transitions.

Robots, Marriageable Men, Family, and Fertility

Robots have radically changed the demand for skills and the role of workers in production. This phenomenon has replaced routine and mostly physical work of blue collar workers, but it has also created positive employment spillovers in other occupations and sectors that require more social interaction and managing skills. This study examines how the exposure to robots and its heterogeneous effects on the labor market opportunities of men and women affected demographic behavior. We focus on the United States and find that in regions that were more exposed to robots, gender gaps in income and labor force participation declined, reducing the relative economic stature of men. Regions affected by intense robot penetration experienced also an increase in both divorce and cohabitation and a decline –albeit non-significant– in the number of marriages. While there was no change in the overall fertility rate, marital fertility declined, and there was an increase in nonmarital births. Our findings provide support to the hypothesis that changes in labor market structures that affect the absolute and relative prospects of men may reduce their marriage-market value and affect marital and fertility behavior.

Identification of Occupations Susceptible to High Exposure and Risk Associated With Multiple Toxicants: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014

Background: According to the World Health Organization, occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals are estimated to cause over 370,000 premature annual deaths. The risks due to multiple workplace chemical exposures, and those occupations most susceptible to the resulting health effects, remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study is to identify occupations with elevated toxicant biomarker concentrations and increased health risk associated with exposure to combinations of toxicants in a working US population from diverse categories of occupation. Methods: For this observational study of 51,008 participants, we used data from the 1999-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We characterized differences in chemical exposures by occupational group for 129 chemicals by applying a series of generalized linear models with the outcome as biomarker concentrations and the main predictor as the occupational groups, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty income ratio, study period, and biomarker of tobacco use. We identified groups of occupations with similar chemical exposure profiles via hierarchical clustering. For each occupational group, we calculated percentages of participants with chemical biomarker levels exceeding acceptable health-based guidelines. Findings: Blue collar workers from “Construction”, “Other Services”, “Professional, Scientific, Technical Services”, “Real Estate, Rental, Leasing”, “Manufacturing”, and “Wholesale Trade” along with several unemployed groups have higher biomarker levels of toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, acrylamide, glycideamide, xylenes, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tetrachloroethane, methyl tert-butyl ether, and benzene compared to their white-collar counterparts. For these toxicants, 1-58% of blue collar workers from these industries have chemical biomarker concentrations exceeding acceptable levels. Interpretation: Blue collar workers and several unemployed groups have toxicant levels higher relative to their white-collar counterparts, often exceeding acceptable levels associated with noncancer effects. Our findings identify multiple occupations to prioritize for targeted interventions and health policies to monitor and reduce high toxicant exposures in susceptible individuals. Funding Information: Ravitz Family Foundation, University of Michigan Forbes Institute for Cancer Discovery, Harvard Data Science Initiative, University of Michigan Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, and National Institutes of Health (R01 ES028802, P30 ES017885, P30 CA046592, UG3 CA267907). Declaration of Interests: Drs. Nguyen, Colacino, Sartor, and Jolliet has nothing to disclose. At the time of the writing of the manuscript, Dr. Patel was a consultant and shareholder of XY.health. Dr. Patel is also paid by J&J.

Multimodal Stress-Management Intervention Improves Physiological, Psychological, and Productivity of Assembly-Line Workers

Stress-related problems experienced by blue collar workers have become one of the most prevalent health and safety risks and relate to loss of productivity or other poorer quality of work. Their inability to cope with the environmental demands leads to certain responses involving a complex interaction between physiological and psychological mechanism. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of multimodal stress management intervention at individual-level approach (biofeedback and work-life balance) on multiple outcome measures: physiological, physiological and productivity. A sample consisted of 18 female assembly-line operators who perceived extremely severe level of depression, anxiety, and stress, attended six-week heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and work-life balance training sessions. We found significantly improved physiological HRV physiological coherence, reduced negative emotional symptoms, and increased productivity (all p 0.53|). The possible mechanism of these parallel findings discussed as well as its practical implication. Nevertheless, our lack of sample and less rigorous research design limited us to infer generalizability and causality. Despite these drawbacks, our study demonstrates a potential use of combining HRV biofeedback and other stress management approach for improving worker’s overall well-being and work performance.

The classical concept of employment and the long march of self-employment

In spite of the technological changes experienced by the economic organisations, the concept of employment continues to be a milestone of labour and employment law. The main goal of labour law should be that of enlarging the scope of employment protection as to include blue collar workers such as food delivery riders and app-drivers. Genuine self-employment plays nonetheless a central role while the number of working poor has substantially increased in the self-employment sector. These changes enhance the need to increase the level of social security protection and to guarantee decent minimum wages, collective bargaining, right to strike.

Productive Aging in India: Pre-Retirement Perceptions, Priorities, and Gendered Perspectives

This study explores the perceptions of urban, middle class, white collar employees in India approaching retirement, to unpack ‘productive aging’ through a specific sociocultural lens. India, is aging fast with limited social security. Projected growth in the 60+ age group is 326% (2000 -2050) and 700% for the 80+. Prior studies largely focused on rural and blue collar adults. This study involves a sample of 76 people’s (41 men, 35 women of relatively high SES) attitudes to aging. Key findings show, self-perceived health status was different between men and women (ordinal regression analysis showed p value 0.034 at 95% CI). 51.22% men rated their health excellent/very good compared with 28.57% women. 12.2% men rated their health fair/poor compared with 25.72% women. Despite this, results of men and women’s perceptions of aging were remarkably similar though living in a country with entrenched gender inequality. Cultural influence was apparent from the gendered difference (p value 0.036, 95% CI) in response to the question “our society frowns upon paid work after retirement” (20% women agreed compared with 4.77% men). Interestingly, despite social constraints 68.58% women agreed that they prefer a paid alternate career after retirement compared with 53.66% men. Another difference (p value 0.006, 95% CI) on the question “I need to be gainfully occupied for my own personal satisfaction” had 100% women reporting they agree or strongly agree as compared with 85.37% men. Findings will be discussed in the context of gender and changing family structures among adults in late middle age.