Workplace Change Research Articles

The Expression of Teacher Professional Burnout in Lithuanian Preschool Education

Burnout by educators of educational institutions is already a vital problem in some national education systems. Lithuania is not an exception. The current research concentrates on the situation of preschool teaching, as there is a lack of research investigating this particular group of teachers. Taking into account the fact that professional burnout syndrome begins imperceptibly, but later causes serious consequences not only for the educator himself/herself but also for the entire educational process, it is appropriate to conduct a research that aims to evaluate the manifestation of the burnout syndrome expressions of Lithuanian preschool teachers. Research methods: analysis of the scientific literature, quantitative research approach, aiming to evaluate the expression of professional burnout of pedagogues of Lithuanian preschool education institutions. Data were collected while using questionnaire survey the sample consists of respondents who represent the studied population, i.e. educators of preschool education institutions in Lithuanian cities and districts. During the quantitative research survey, 240 preschool teachers were interviewed. The results of the research showed that approximately one out of seven preschool education teachers experience severe burnout. The were revealed the major issues of the nature of professional burnout, highlighting its complexity, involving increasing emotional and physical fatigue, depersonalization, and decreased professional aspirations. Factors such as age, qualification category, and working hours also have influence on the professional burnout level. Management factors such like heavy workloads, poor relationships among the teachers and administration, large group sizes contribute to teacher burnout. These factors have direct impact on the interactions with children, parents, colleagues, and managers. Burnout reduces motivation, organizational ability, and can lead to job dissatisfaction and workplace changes. Additionally, the negative impact on the educational process, such as creating an unfavourable learning environment and increasing the workload for other staff may be cleared out.

Technostress at workplace: Antecedents, decisions and outcomes (ADO) and future research pathways through a systematic literature review

The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the proliferation of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) at the workplace as organisations adopt teleworking, causing stress in employees, termed technostress. The authors aim to conduct an in-depth systematic literature review on technostress by adopting the four- stage “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses” (PRISMA) protocol for article retrieval and selection. Only technostress-related studies were chosen from peer-reviewed journal articles from two prominent databases: Scopus and Web of Science. We focused on studies published in journals with high rankings to enhance the review quality. We conducted this by selecting only those studies published in journals classified as “A*” and “A” according to the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) journal ranking list. This yielded 73 high-quality studies for the systematic review. The antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (ADO) framework was leveraged to conduct a scientific review. This is one of the pioneering studies to conduct an ADO framework-based technostress review and formally report the Decisions related to the technostress process, namely a) challenge and hindrance technostressors, b) challenge and hindrance coping responses. Research is moving towards studying new technological and non-work life-related antecedents (e.g., cyberbullying) and outcomes (e.g., loneliness). Considering the changing workplace realities after the COVID-19 pandemic, sixteen future research objectives have been put forward based on three research pathways: advancing conceptual robustness, contextual novelty, and methodological rigour. Organisations can leverage insights on key sources, outcomes, and mitigation measures of technostress to develop human resource strategies, as well as training plans to maximise the benefits of their ICT initiatives.

"Learning from those who know the system inside and out": Experiences of physician mothers who are informal caregivers.

For physicians, the added responsibility of being an informal caregiver (IC, providing regular care for seriously ill loved ones) can create challenges such as increased rates of burnout that have received little attention. In this study, we explored physician mothers' informal caregiving experiences and probed their perspectives on how health systems can better support their needs. From September 14, 2021, to October 31, 2021, we distributed an online survey to a national sample of physician mothers who self-identified as ICs; survey questions examined their caregiving responsibilities and perspectives on workplace changes needed to support them. Of 23 respondents, 48% were caregivers for a child, and 74% coresided with their care recipient; 26% spent on average 40 hr per week caregiving and 44% were ICs for 5 years or more. Main caregiving responsibilities included communicating with health care providers (91%) and managing and/or attending medical appointments (70%). Three central themes emerged from open-ended questions: (a) "It's an exhausting and unrecognized burden"; (b) "Our health care system is difficult to navigate, even for physicians"; and (c) "Flexible work schedules, no penalties." Within these themes, respondents described feeling unrecognized and unsupported as ICs in their workplaces. Physician mothers who are ICs fill critical, demanding roles as health care leaders and caregivers at home. Balancing these dual roles presents significant challenges that can have adverse effects, leaving physician-mother ICs vulnerable to burnout and attrition. Targeted support strategies including flexible staffing models, expanded telehealth, and paid informal caregiving leave may improve experiences for physician ICs more generally. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Navigating Career Paths in a Remote World: The Influence of Work from Home on Employee Advancement and Organizational Support

This study investigates the impact of Work from Home (WFH) on career advancement among IT professionals, emphasizing intermediary aspects that affect progression in Work from Home environments. As WFH gains prominence, it is crucial to comprehend its influence on fundamental career facilitators, including Social Capital, Organizational Support, Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Quality, Work Visibility, Work-Life Balance, and Technology Proficiency. This study employs a quantitative survey of 612 remote IT professionals in Karnataka, India, to evaluate how these characteristics moderate the association between remote management and career advancement. Findings demonstrate that WFH exerts both beneficial and detrimental impacts on career-enabling characteristics. WFH enhances work-life equilibrium and technological competence, enabling employees to flexibly manage duties and develop digital skills vital for contemporary positions. Nonetheless, WFH diminishes social capital, LMX quality, and job visibility, which may impede career progression due to diminished informal networking, restricted supervisor engagement, and decreased organizational acknowledgment. These findings underscore the necessity for focused organizational measures to facilitate career advancement in remote environments. Organizations ought to create virtual mentorship initiatives, tools that enhance visibility, and structured feedback systems to tackle the distinct issues faced by remote employees and optimize their career potential. This research enhances the current literature by pinpointing practical strategies that promote career advancement in Work from Home settings, providing significant insights for both scholars and companies adjusting to the changing workplace dynamics.

Transforming Organizational Culture in the Post-Pandemic Era: Challenges, Strategies, and Outcomes

The purpose of this study is to facilitate organizational culture change because changing an organizational culture is one of the most difficult leadership challenges. Successful organizational culture change often considers an organizational capability and core competency that facilitate the complexity of the change management implementation process. To address the research problem, this research approached was mixed method research, using qualitative and quantitative research combined. A semi-structured interview, purposive sampling (10 participants) and computer software NVivo used for qualitative approached. On the other hand, three hundred surveys, random clustered probability sampling, computer software SPSS used to interpret the quantitative data. The study provided insight about how sustainable culture change can achieve for post pandemic workplace. It recommends that effective leadership is key for successful organizational culture change in the post pandemic workplace. The study also found that the organizational culture is the key to organizational transformation because it spells out a change initiative will falter or successful. The study fulfills the global needs of academic and practitioners to achieve the sustainable organizational culture change in the post pandemic workplace.

Employee teleworking (working-from-home) experience assessment during COVID-19 lockdown: A dual-edged sword

Teleworking reportedly comes with numerous benefits, including enhanced work-life balance, flexibility, reduced travel time, increased productivity, and higher morale. Nevertheless, it has also been reported to project many challenges, with psychosocial problems such as stress and burnout on top of the list. Interestingly during the lockdown, it was suspected to yield two-sided impacts among many teleworkers, such two-sided impact including bringing about increase in productivity for some and decrease in others. This situation has been presumed by some to be connected to lack of social interaction as well as the socio-demographics difference of the workers. Therefore, the research question of our study is; what are the effects of the demographic characteristics of teleworkers on their positive and negative working-from-home experience? This study adopted a random sampling approach for the data collection from teleworkers across Europe, using an online cross-sectional survey with distribution done via platforms such as LinkedIn and also among individual workers. At the end, 399 responses were collected and data was analysed using Chi-square tests to determine the difference in the impacts of teleworking on employees based on their socio-demographics. All analysis were done using SPSS. The results of our study underline the importance of businesses evaluating and improving their workers’ teleworking work experiences, irrespective of their socio-demographics. This study’s findings, which are important to both employers and employees as they navigate the changing workplace, emphasize the need to understand the complex consequences of remote work on workers’ job satisfaction and well-being.

Identity Crisis Among Clinical Officers at Malawi’s Public Hospitals Amidst the Implementation of Functional Reviews

In Malawi’s healthcare system, a significant doctor shortage compels clinical officers who are mid-level health professionals, to shoulder responsibilities traditionally reserved for medical doctors. This study delves into the unintended consequences of functional reviews within Malawi’s health sector. The research, employing a qualitative case-study approach across five public hospitals, investigated how the functional reviews triggered an identity crisis among clinical officers. The findings revealed that the implemented changes caused an identity crisis among clinical officers. This identity crisis, demonstrably exacerbated occupational stress among clinical officers. To address this unforeseen consequence and safeguard the well-being of clinical officers in particular and healthcare workers in general, this paper proposes the incorporation of psychosocial risk assessments before implementing functional reviews in the health sector. This proactive approach can help identify potential threats to social identity and mitigate the risk of increased stress among healthcare workers. Ultimately, this research contributes to the growing body of knowledge that underscores the intricate link between social identity and the impact of large-scale workplace changes within the healthcare system.

The Human Energy Crisis: Employee’s Performance and Need for Resilience

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of the human energy crisis on employee productivity, particularly within the IT sector in India. The study also provide recommendations to overcome this crisis and enhancing productivity of employees. Methodology: Employing a positivist philosophy and deductive approach, quantitative methods were utilized via a cross-sectional survey with a stratified sampling strategy. The sample comprised 65 employees, ensuring reliability and validity through established scales and rigorous statistical analysis. Findings: The outcomes highlight that human energy crisis significantly impacts employee’s performance. Employees in IT face adjusting to a changing workplace culture, impacting their mental health. This human energy crisis includes factors like stress, workload, burnout, and lack of work-life balance. To avoid burnout and improve workplace, organisations should implement stress reduction techniques, encourage active work, social support, involve staff in decision making, and implement excellence performance management. These policies aim to advance worker autonomy, skills development, and job equity. Practical Implications: This research contributes to academic literature and provides insights into the human energy crisis, a common issue causing stress, exhaustion, and workload. It suggests that employees prioritise theory well-being over work, and suggests strategies for HR, managers, and administrators to improve employee performance. The data can also be used by the government, as employees work in both public and private sectors. Originality: The research fills a gap in literature concerning the mediating factors of the human energy crisis and contributes to both academic understanding and practical application in public and private sector workplaces.

Impact of occupational exposures in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: current understanding and knowledge gaps.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is thought of as a disease caused by tobacco exposure, but numerous occupational exposures have been identified as risk factors for development of disease and exacerbations, although these remain underappreciated and underdiagnosed. We highlight evidence of occupational exposures and how they relate to COPD, while also looking at gaps in how the changing workplace might affect the occupational COPD landscape. Historical exposures linked to COPD included inorganic dusts like coal and silica and organic dusts like cotton and wood. Other data associated agricultural exposures, cleaning agents, air pollution, and construction work with COPD. As the workplace has evolved to include more work from home and growing industries like ridesharing and delivery, items like radon and indoor and outdoor air quality must be factored into the equation as occupational exposures with the potential to cause COPD and increase its morbidity. Despite this, causal conclusions with many risk factors are challenging due to the complex interaction between patient susceptibilities and environmental factors, both occupation-related and nonoccupation related. Additional studies are needed, not only to better evaluate occupational exposures and COPD pathogenesis, but also to look at more solution-oriented areas like precision medicine and interventions targeting a healthier workplace.

Student Networking Presentations: Cultivating Communication and Critical Thinking Skills in the Asynchronous Virtual Classroom

More work is now completed in a remote setting than ever before. As the skills demanded by employers evolve to meet changing workplace demands, communication remains a noted deficiency for recent college graduates. To bridge this skill gap, we present a format translation of a qualitative interview exercise that has been reimagined for use in the asynchronous online classroom. As a supplement to the several peer-to-peer networking activities already available in the management education literature, the current project provides a structured environment for online students to engage in a real-world networking interview with a business professional of their choosing. Through the activity, students hone their networking, communication, and critical thinking skills as they utilize a variety of Microsoft Teams tools to practice interviewing and presenting in a virtual, asynchronous setting.

Towards a 'Newer Normal' ? A Bibliometric Analysis Examining Organisational Culture in the Post-COVID-19 Higher Education Landscape in the United Kingdom

Concern continues to grow over the changing nature of work that initially formed a 'new normal' within higher education institutions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation is now being further impacted by subsequent economic and political challenges in the sector, which in turn shifts the workplace towards an even 'newer normal'. The purpose of this article is to: (1) methodically and logically review the extant literature and research linking the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic to the organisational culture of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom; and (2) based on a bibliometric analysis, to offer a road map for further empirical research in the future. Researchers have found that changing workplace norms, such as remote and hybrid working and other forms of flexibility in approaches to learning and the availability of delivery modes, have become increasingly common, which has changed the nature of working practices and underpinning aspects of organisational culture. Therefore, it now appears opportune to update existing knowledge on organisational culture theory within the United Kingdom higher education context to support policy development and enhance workplace practices in the post-COVID-19 period. From a theoretical perspective, this article contributes to organisational culture literature by assimilating a dataset of nascent studies generated through keyword search on Clarivate Analytics Web of Science that have examined the impact of COVID-19 on organisational culture in United Kingdom higher education institutions. This emergent dataset was analysed using VOS Viewer, with the results of subsequent quantitative bibliometric analysis identifying the main existing research fronts as well as potential research directions for the empirical development of organisational culture. Based on this bibliometric analysis, the main suggested future research agendas that need to be addressed linked to organisational culture in the UK higher education sector in the post-COVID period are: (a) to further examine changing cultural norms and expectations; (b) hybrid approaches to working; (c) academic identity; and (d) organisational culture and the changing psychological contract. Such research is important as the UK Higher Education sector now progresses towards an even 'newer normal'. Received: 20 June 2024 | Revised: 8 October 2024 | Accepted: 4 November 2024 Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study. Author Contribution Statement Ruby Mathew: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Project administration. Philip Coombes: Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Visualization. Steven Cock: Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing - review & editing, Visualization. Alan Johnston: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft, Visualization. Susan Walsh: Writing - original draft. Lynsey Walker-Smith: Writing - original draft.

Enhancing Sleep and Reducing Occupational Stress Through Forest Therapy: A Comparative Study Across Job Groups.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic radically shifted occupational patterns, leading to increased telecommuting and related stressors. Healthcare providers, among the most impacted group, faced heightened risks and workplace changes. Our study examined the efficacy of forest therapy in alleviating work-induced stress across various professions, exploring the need for profession-specific stress-relief strategies in the post-pandemic workplace. To examine the impact of COVID-19 on professionals, 62 participants were recruited, consisting of 20 healthcare providers, 21 information technology (IT) specialists, and 21 teachers. Instruments such as Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, along with salivary tests for cortisol and melatonin, were used to assess the participants' sleep and stress levels. A specialized forest healing program was implemented among these participants. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Win Ver. 22.0, utilizing paired t-tests and a repeated measures analysis of variance. Significant improvements were observed in the participants' sleep metrics, depression scales, and stress levels after the forest healing program. Physiological measures indicated an increase in melatonin and a decline in cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels, with only cortisol changes being statistically significant. Teachers, participating during school vacations, exhibited minimal stress-related physiological changes. Overall, the program demonstrated widespread health benefits regardless of occupation or gender. This study showed that forest therapy reduced stress equally across professions, including healthcare providers, IT specialists, and teachers. Individual physiological responses may play a greater role in stress relief than the specific occupation.

Health of the Pandemic Dementia Paid Staff and Unpaid Caregiver Workforce in Congregate Care and Community Settings

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic on the health, well-being, and access to services of paid staff and unpaid caregivers of persons living with dementia. Questionnaires were developed to capture the experiences of paid staff and unpaid caregivers throughout the pandemic, leveraging a pre-existing clinical trial collaborative. Community and long-term care locations in Miami, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, and the greater Baltimore, Maryland, and D.C. areas. Paid staff from Miami Jewish and Benchmark who worked with patients with dementia during the first two years of the pandemic. Unpaid caregivers who lived within the catchment area of the study sites and provided care for community-based persons with dementia. Measures included the Coronavirus Impact Scale, the Herth Hope Index, NPI-Q, the Modified Caregiver Strain Index, PHQ-8, items about workplace changes, caregiving relationship, and changes to caregiver support. Paid staff were statistically more likely to have been exposed to, tested for, hospitalized, or seriously ill with COVID-19 and indicated moderate to severe impacts to medical and mental health services compared to unpaid caregivers. Unpaid caregivers exhibited significantly higher rates of depressive symptom severity and overall lower scores on the Herth Hope Scale compared to paid staff. Our findings suggest that the pandemic had significant impacts on the mental health and general well-being of unpaid caregivers. While notable that paid staff suffered from increased exposure and decreased access to services, policies supporting both workforces should respond to the unique outcomes that each faced, post-pandemic.

The impact of workplace changes and supervisor support on employee learning: a nonlinear perspective

ABSTRACT In this study, we examine how workplace changes relate to employee participation in formal learning (i.e. participating in a course or training) and informal learning (i.e. learning from tasks and people at work). Drawing from work design principles, we propose a nonlinear relationship between workplace changes and employee learning, suggesting that multiple changes accelerate employee participation in learning activities. Additionally, we propose that supervisor support for learning moderates this relationship. We examined our hypotheses using survey data from a large subsample of employed workers who participated in the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey (NWCS) in 2018 and 2020. Results showed that workplace changes generally enhance both formal and informal learning. Specifically, we observed a nonlinear relationship for formal learning, however, the pattern of the curve was a decelerating rather than an accelerating one. Further, supervisor support for learning was positively associated with both formal and informal learning and outweighed the association of workplace changes with work-related learning: for employees who experienced high supervisor support, informal learning depended less on workplace changes, but for formal learning it enhanced the found nonlinear relationship and resembled a positive curve that gradually flattens. Results are discussed in light of their theoretical and practical contributions.

Work after lawful status: formerly undocumented immigrants’ gendered relational legal consciousness and workplace claims-making

AbstractUndocumented status impedes immigrants’ workplace claims to legal rights and better treatment. But what happens when they obtain lawful permanent residency – does the reluctance to make claims in the workplace change? If so, how? Drawing on timeline interviews, I examine changes in the relational legal consciousness and reported workplace claims-making of 98 formerly undocumented Latino immigrants. Most respondents reported increased willingness to engage in, and follow through with, workplace claims. However, gendered differences emerged. Men’s claims largely revolved around wage negotiations, moving to a better paying position, and enforcement of legal rights with an attached monetary value. They were also more likely to frame claims as legal rights. In contrast, women’s claims largely revolved around better work treatment, access to job benefits, and workplace accommodations. They were also more likely to frame claims as moral rights. I explain these outcomes as a function of three relational mechanisms: lawful status being understood relative to experiences being undocumented; gendering in the legalization process; and social ties promoting gendered expectations of lawful permanent residency. My findings highlight the importance of gendered differences in relational legal consciousness and how lived reference points (e.g., prior undocumented experience) inform how legal consciousness changes over time.

Bridging minds and machines in Industry 5.0: neurobiological approach.

In transitioning from Industry 4.0 to the forthcoming Industry 5.0, this research explores the fusion of the humanistic view and technological developments to redefine Continuing Engineering Education (CEE). Industry 5.0 introduces concepts like biomanufacturing and human-centricity, embodying the integration of sustainability and resiliency principles in CEE, thereby shaping the upskilling and reskilling initiatives for the future workforce. The interaction of sophisticated concepts such as Human-Machine Interface and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) forms a conceptual bridge toward the approaching Fifth Industrial Revolution, allowing one to understand human beings and the impact of their biological development across diverse and changing workplace settings. Our research is based on recent studies into Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities taxonomies, linking these elements with dynamic labor market profiles. This work intends to integrate a biometric perspective to conceptualize and describe how cognitive abilities could be represented by linking a Neuropsychological test and a biometric assessment. We administered the brief Neuropsychological Battery in Spanish (Neuropsi Breve). At the same time, 15 engineering students used the Emotiv insight device that allowed the EEG recollection to measure performance metrics such as attention, stress, engagement, and excitement. The findings of this research illustrate a methodology that allowed the first approach to the cognitive abilities of engineering students to be from neurobiological and behavioral perspectives. Additionally, two profiles were extracted from the results. The first illustrates the Neuropsi test areas, its most common mistakes, and its performance ratings regarding the students' sample. The second profile shows the interaction between the EEG and Neuropsi test, showing engineering students' cognitive and emotional states based on biometric levels. The study demonstrates the potential of integrating neurobiological assessment into engineering education, highlighting a significant advancement in addressing the skills requirements of Industry 5.0. The results suggest that obtaining a comprehensive understanding of students' cognitive abilities is possible, and educational interventions can be adapted by combining neuropsychological approaches with EEG data collection. In the future, it is essential to refine these evaluation methods further and explore their applicability in different engineering disciplines. Additionally, it is necessary to investigate the long-term impact of these methods on workforce preparation and performance.

Guest editorial: When digitalization drives workplace changes: managerial challenges in hybrid work

Guest editorial: When digitalization drives workplace changes: managerial challenges in hybrid work

Evaluation of Mental Health and Well-Being Among Kansas Pharmacists Post-COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background COVID-19 has profoundly affected pharmacists, causing burnout from heavier workloads, personal stressors, and disrupted healthcare delivery. Research on pharmacists' mental health during the pandemic, especially in rural areas like Kansas, remains limited. Objectives This study aimed to understand perceptions, experiences, and impacts on the mental, emotional, and psychological well-being of active Kansas pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, includingevaluatingworkplace modifications on mental health. Methods Kansas licensed pharmacists were recruited via email distributions through five Kansas pharmacy organizations and informal referrals among colleagues. After consenting, respondents completed a 15-minute, 28-question survey via Qualtrics. The survey included 11 questions concerning demographics and employment characteristics, along with 17 questions designed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, structured according to existing literature. Participation was uncompensated, and incomplete surveys were omitted from the analysis. Results One hundred and seven respondents (83.59% completion) represented 3.25% of Kansas's 3,290 pharmacists. They were aged 26-66 (M=38.7), the majority female (72.57%) and white (84.84%), with 14.24 years average practice duration (SD=10.94). Data covered 12 rural and 11 urban counties, with 50.91% staff pharmacists and 22.73% pharmacy managers. Many worked over 40 hours weekly in 13 settings. Findings showed increased workload (24.68%), medication shortages (24.03%), and burnout (24.32%) affecting job considerations. Workplace changes impacted personal mental health, with the main stressors being work-related factors (19.21%), social distancing (18.95%), and health concerns (12.63%). Conclusion This study underscores the pandemic's profound toll on Kansas pharmacists' mental, emotional, and physical health, leading to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and decreased effectiveness. It emphasizes the urgency of organizational interventions.

Realising Person-Centredness: Transitioning to a Clustered Domestic Model of Aged Residential Care for People With and Without Dementia.

Many older people who cannot live independently live in aged residential care facilities to obtain support with social and healthcare needs. Despite old age being a precious time for people to live well, many facility residents have limited access to activities that promote their well-being and connectedness. In New Zealand, one provider of aged residential care developed a village inspired by de Hogeweyk in the Netherlands, where resident engagement in valued activities supports continuing lifelong identities. The study aimed to explain the transition from a traditional Aged Residential Care facility to a clustered domestic model of care. A critical realist theoretical perspective underpinned case study research. Data comprised transcripts of interviews with key informants, facility staff, residents and their families, records of observation of residents' daily lives, organisational documents, photographs and the first author's study journal. The intersection of philosophical workplace change to support delivery of person-centred care and a change in the physical environment enabled realisation of the organisational vision of residents living normal lives. Policy makers and practitioners must be aware that while a domestic-scale environment provides cues to normal living, staff who know residents and what is important to them enable participation in community and valued activities. Innovative living arrangements are a synthesis of philosophical aspirations, architectural and design vision, dedicated leadership and committed teamwork.

Computerized Cognitive Training in the Older Workforce: Effects on Cognition, Life Satisfaction, and Productivity

Background: The accelerated aging of the world’s population will lead to an increase in the number of older people in the workforce. Computerized Cognitive Training (CCT) is effective in improving cognitive outcomes, but its benefits for older workers remain controversial. We investigate the real-world efficacy of CCT in the workplace, focusing on employees aged 50+ years from a public sector agency. Methods: Case managers (n = 82) were randomized to either an intervention group (24 40 min CCT sessions two times per week) or a waiting list passive control group. Cognitive ability, well-being, job satisfaction, and productivity outcome measures were collected and assessed before and after CCT or the comparable control wait time. Results: Participants undergoing CCT improved on a task of executive functioning (p = 0.04). There was a trend toward a change in work productivity after CCT (p = 0.09), with the control group showing a significant decrease (p = 0.02), while the intervention group remained stable. Conclusions: CCT during office hours has a positive effect on cognition and well-being without affecting productivity among white-collar office workers. CCT could be considered as an intervention to support the older workforce in managing the cognitive and behavioral challenges of changing workplace demands.