Work Domain Research Articles

Covid-19, working from home and work–life boundaries: the role of personality in work–life boundary management

Working from home (WFH) has accelerated in occurrence following social distancing measures directed at stemming the spread of Covid-19 globally. Using a sample of 41 in-depth qualitative interviews and measurement of the personality scores of the 41 interviewees, who are UK academics, using the IPIP test questionnaire, we explored how mandatory WFH impacts the boundary management of different academics based on their personality and the role of personality in their boundary-management approach to enhance work-life balance (WLB) during Covid-19. Our results suggest that mandatory WFH impacts academics differently depending on their personality, with academics high in conscientiousness and introversion (compared to their neurotic and extroverted colleagues) more suited to managing work and life domains to maintain a WLB while working from home. Building on boundary theory, we uncovered that while conscientious and introverted academics preferred and used integration as their boundary-management style, extroverted academics preferred segmentation in favor of family, but used volleying as a boundary-management style. Neurotic academics leaned toward our newly uncovered boundary-management style – quitter. Our findings suggest that the family circumstances of academics play an important role in their boundary-management styles. Overall, our study suggests relationships between personality and boundary-management styles and characteristics.

Direct quotations in social work writing: multi-functionality and double voicing

Abstract Writing comprises a core area of social work as a substantial amount of time is spent on producing case notes, assessment reports, and other required documentation in order to progress cases; however, little research has been carried out on social workers’ writing and, in particular, the specific discursive and rhetorical devices employed to create effective texts. One rhetorical device often employed in order to include the voices of service users and their families is the use of quotations. This article explores the extent to which quotations are used across social work domains and text types, the different voices represented through quotations, and the perceived functions of the quotations. The study draws on three different data types: (1) a 1-million-word corpus of social workers’ writing; (2) social worker interviews (n = 81); (3) two case studies comprising texts, interviews with the social worker writer, and researcher observations. All data were collected within the WiSP project and were interrogated through a mix of computational and qualitative analysis to develop a taxonomy of functions of quotations. In addition to furthering our understanding of how quotations are employed in professional writing, the study has implications for social worker training and practice.

Been around the block: Is the prior experience of coaches in the workplace helpful?

ABSTRACT While most business coaches have prior experience of a workplace, there is debate as to how this should, or does, contribute to their coaching. It is often considered that coaches should be an expert in the process of coaching, and not their client’s business. This study utilised an inductive design to explore the perception of the contribution of prior work experience through semi-structured interviews with 11 clients and 13 experienced coaches. The interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The data showed that both clients and coaches valued the coach having experience of working at a similar level. This helped establish credentials at the point of hiring, as well as providing authority and confidence during the coaching relationship. Such experience was also seen to give reference points and wisdom. However, while some participants saw advantages in the coach having a similar work background to the client (providing a common language and shared experiences), others considered that, while it was important that the coach had ‘been around the block’, this could be in a different work domain to the client. Clients also valued the wider experiences of a coach (such as artistic or socio-political) that brought creative insights and wider experiences.

Validation Study of the Parkinson's Disease Stigma Questionnaire (PDStigmaQuest).

Stigma is a relevant aspect of Parkinson's disease (PD). Specific stigma tools are needed to address the complex construct of stigma in PD comprehensively. To test the dimensionality and psychometric properties of the newly developed Parkinson's Disease Stigma Questionnaire (PDStigmaQuest). In this multi-center, cross-sectional study including PD patients and healthy controls, the dimensionality of the PDStigmaQuest was examined through exploratory factor analysis. Acceptability and psychometric properties were investigated. PDStigmaQuest scores of patients and healthy controls were compared. In total, 201 PD patients and 101 healthy controls were included in the final analysis. Results suggested high data quality of the PDStigmaQuest (0.0001% missing data for patients). The exploratory factor analysis produced four factors: felt stigma, hiding, enacted stigma: rejection, and enacted stigma: patronization, explaining 47.9% of variance. An optional work domain for employed patients was included. Moderate floor effects and skewness, but no ceiling effects were found. Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 indicated high internal consistency. Calculated item-total correlations met standard criteria. Test-retest reliability was high (rs = 0.83). PDStigmaQuest scores correlated significantly with other stigma measures (rs = 0.56-0.69) and were significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls and higher in patients with depressive symptoms than in those without. The patient-reported 18-item PDStigmaQuest showed strong psychometric properties of validity and reliability. Our results suggest that the PDStigmaQuest can be used to assess and evaluate stigma comprehensively in PD, which will improve our understanding of the construct of PD stigma.

Framing the Default.

A key finding within nudging research is the default effect, where individuals are inclined to stay with a default option when faced with a decision, rather than exploring alternatives (e.g., a preselected job opportunity among two alternatives). Similarly, the study of framing effects delves into how the presentation and context of decisions influence choices (e.g., choosing vs. rejecting a job opportunity among two alternatives). Specifically, previous literature examining choosing versus rejecting decision frames in various situations has found that these frames do not invariably complement each other; therefore, individuals' preferences vary based on the task frame. Yet, simultaneous testing of multiple nudges remains relatively unexplored in the literature. In the current study involving 1,072 participants, we examined how framing and default effects can influence decision-making in hypothetical scenarios. The decision scenarios involved two different domains-work and health. We found that framing had a strong effect on decision-making in both work and health domains, whereas default setting contributed only to a limited extent in the work domain and no effect was found in the health domain, mirroring related recent research findings. We argue for a more careful design of nudge interventions when multiple overlapping nudges are used and for a contextual approach to applying behavioral science to citizens.

Learning by gaming: nonwork-to-work enrichment among successful massive multiplayer online gamers

ABSTRACT Online gaming is stereotypically associated with negative outcomes, partially due to social stigmas. Given the large population of massive multiplayer online (MMO) gamers, in this qualitative study, we explored if and how gaming resulted in positive outcomes by enriching employees’ work. To do so, we interviewed 23 employed adults with extensive gaming experience. Our analysis revealed that MMO gaming resulted in several learning outcomes that were directly related to general workplace skills. We categorised these learning outcomes as affective (i.e. viewing work as solvable puzzles, developing self-confidence, developing self-awareness), behavioural (i.e. leading and working with a team, coaching and developing others, developing social connections, conflict resolution), and cognitive (i.e. gaining knowledge; goal setting, strategising, and planning; adaptability and agility; and problem-solving). Also, we highlighted the social and individual factors that played a role in how learning outcomes were transferred from gaming to work. Our findings broaden the limited scholarship on employee enrichment experiences, extending our understanding of how an individual’s hobby, as an understudied and critical part of the nonwork domain, is associated with the work domain. Our study challenges the common negative stereotypes about gamers and advocates the potential enrichment of workplace skills resulting from gaming during nonwork time.

Domain Switch Theory: A Deeper Understanding of Transitions Between Work and Nonwork Domains in Modern Work Life

Domain Switch Theory: A Deeper Understanding of Transitions Between Work and Nonwork Domains in Modern Work Life

Exploring labor market dynamics and profiles of Latin American migrants in Quebec, Canada

This study examines the labor profile and perceived barriers of Latin American migrants in Quebec, specifically in the cities of Montreal and Quebec City. Using a qualitative research approach, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 24 migrants to collect data on variables such as age, location, educational level, language fluency, migration status, main barrier observed, gender and work domain. Despite the modest sample size, the findings revealed significant patterns that provide a deeper understanding of the labor dynamics of this migrant population. A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to identify distinctive segments within the sample and differences between migrants located in Montreal and Quebec City were discussed. The main barriers to employment were analyzed, highlighting the importance of professional networks, cultural adaptation and structural deficiencies in the labor market. This article contributes to the literature by providing specific recommendations for employment policies targeting different groups of migrants, with the objective of promoting more equitable and effective labor market integration in the province of Quebec.

Meeting the Needs of People With Severe Quadriplegia in the 21st Century: The Case for Implanted Brain-Computer Interfaces.

In recent decades, there has been a widespread adoption of digital devices among the non-disabled population. The pervasive integration of digital devices has revolutionized how the majority of the population manages daily activities. Most of us now depend on digital platforms and services to conduct activities across the domains of communication, finance, healthcare, and work. However, a clear disparity exists for people who live with severe quadriplegia, who largely lack access to tools that would enable them to perform daily tasks digitally and communicate effectively with their environment. The purpose of this piece is to (i) highlight the unmet needs of people with severe quadriplegia (including cases for medical necessity and perspectives from the community), (ii) present the current landscape of assistive technology for people with severe quadriplegia, (iii) make the case for implantable BCIs (how they address needs and why they are a good solution relative to other assistive technologies), and (iv) present future directions. There are technologies that are currently available to this population, but these technologies are certainly not usable with the same level of ease, efficiency, or autonomy as what has been designed for the non-disabled community. This hinders the ability of people with severe quadriplegia to achieve digital autonomy, perpetuating social isolation and limiting the expression of needs, opinions, and preferences. Most importantly, the gap in digital equality fundamentally undermines the basic human rights of people with severe quadriplegia.

The effects of technostressors on work and non-work outcomes in hybrid work

ABSTRACT While employees use information and communication technology (ICT) to support hybrid work, such ICT can result in technostressors. Drawing upon the challenge-hindrance stressor framework, we conceptualise availability and efficient communication as the challenge technostressors, and interruption as the hindrance technostressor. We then develop a theoretical model based on conservation of resources theory to assess their effects on behavioural and psychological outcomes in both work and non-work domains. Survey data were collected from 437 Chinese employees who engaged in hybrid work. The results show that availability and efficient communication enhance perceived location/schedule flexibility, while interruption reduces perceived schedule flexibility. Furthermore, while perceived location flexibly only increased work performance, perceived schedule flexibility increased work/non-work performance and reduced work/non-work exhaustion. Lastly, significant differences were found between those under high and those under low hybrid work. Our study contributes to the literature by clarifying the antecedents and outcomes of location/schedule flexibility in the context of hybrid work. Our study provides important practical suggestions related to the management of hybrid work.

Thermal deformation behavior of a Ni-Cr-Fe superalloy and its effect on corrosion resistance: A comprehensive analysis of strain rate and temperature effects

Thermal deformation behavior of a Ni-Cr-Fe superalloy billet were investigated by hot compression experiments under temperatures of 900–1200 °C and strain rates of 0.001–1 s−1, and the corrosion properties of the superalloy after thermal deformation were also evaluated by electrochemical tests. Compression experiments determined that lower strain rates and higher temperatures reduce the superalloy's stress levels. The Arrhenius-type model accurately described the thermal deformation behavior of the superalloy. Furthermore, the optimal hot working domain was identified between 1120 and 1170 °C and strain rates of 0.001–0.01 s−1. Microstructure observations showed that the dynamic recrystallization (DRX), characterized by grain boundary bending nucleation and consumption of numerous dislocations is the main mechanism leading to grain refinement during thermal deformation. The results of the electrochemical corrosion tests proved that the corrosion predominantly occurred near the grain boundaries (GBs) of deformed grains, worsening with increased deformation temperatures.

A STUDY ON WORK LIFE BALANCE

The term "Work- life Balance (WLB)" was coined in 1986, although its usage in everyday language was being made for a number of years. Interestingly, work/life programs existed as early as the 1930s. The policies and procedures established by an organization with the goal to enable employees to efficiently do their jobs and at the same time provide flexibility to handle personal concerns or problems at their family front in fact; dual-wage-earning families in general are working longer hours. A balance work and life are supposed to exist when there is a proper functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict. Therefore, the incompatibility between the demands from the work and non-work domain give rise to conflict and consequently, people experience a lack of Work- life balance. There is confirmation of the fact that people entering the workforce today are laying emphasis on the importance of Work- life balance more than their predecessors. In spite of this, the extent to which this balance is being achieved is far less than what is desired. In fact, researches bring to mind that graduates are being drawn into situations where they have to work for progressively longer hours and so experience an increasingly unsatisfactory balance between home life and work-life.

COVID-19 impacts and mental health of auxiliary police: the moderating role of supervisor procedural justice

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 impacts and auxiliary police officers’ mental health as well as the moderating role of supervisor procedural justice.Design/methodology/approachBased on the role theory and a police officer survey from China, this quantitative study investigates the relationship between COVID-19 impacts and mental health status among auxiliary police, a rarely examined police type. We also examine the moderating role of supervisor procedural justice.FindingsAuxiliary police officers reported both negative and positive impacts from COVID-19, while the negative impacts were mainly in the work domain, but the positive impacts were primarily in the life area. OLS regression results indicate that negative impacts, especially work-related negative impacts, are significantly related to depression and anxiety, and supervisor procedural justice moderates the relationship between positive impacts and depression and anxiety.Originality/valueFirstly, we adopted the role theory to examine how public health emergencies affect police officers in their work and life domains. Secondly, we advance the organizational justice literature by assessing whether supervisor procedural justice can moderate the relationship between COVID-19 impacts and their mental health. Thirdly, this research extends the literature on depression and anxiety of auxiliary police officers in China, who attracted less attention in current literature and policies.

Travel counsellors’ perspectives on AI assistance

Research on AI in the context of travel counselling has mainly focused on increasing the efficiency and level of automation of online travel bookings. However, AI solutions can also be used in the context of offline travel counselling, i.e., face-to-face counselling at a travel agency service desk. In this specific application domain, AI has the potential to change personal interaction between counsellors and clients in different ways. In order to design AI solutions to enrich personal interaction, research on the specific requirements of counsellors, customers, and other relevant stakeholders in the context of AI-assisted offline travel counselling is needed. Human-centered design (HCD) is a promising approach to investigate and incorporate these perspectives on the course of the AI design process. In this paper, we present our approach of applying HCD elements to deepen the understanding of the context of use, to specify user requirements, and to find potential design solutions for a real-world use case of AI assistance in offline travel counselling. In addition, we highlight the key findings and insights regarding travel counsellors’ perspectives and requirements on possible AI adoption, showing that they are primarily open to AI-based innovations, but also have some concerns about the devaluation of the counselling profession. Further, we critically discuss additional design elements that would be needed for human-centered AI design in an ambitious sense.Practical Relevance: The findings are of high practical relevance as they demonstrate how HCD principles can be applied to real-life use cases, which aim to introduce human-AI interaction in work domains. At the same time, our findings provide valuable insights for practitioners into the specific work environment of offline travel counsellors.

Looking Back on Career, Looking Forward to Retirement: Antecedents of Subjective Career Evaluations and Their Impact on Retirement Adjustment.

An individual's past, and reflections on it, may influence current and future well-being. Recent qualitative studies suggest retirees' recollections about their careers relate to well-being in retirement. We investigated associations between life course events and subjective career evaluations, gender differences in these associations, and their subsequent association with retirement adjustment. We used data from three waves (2015, 2018, and 2023) of the (NIDI Pension Panel Study (NPPS), a longitudinal survey of Dutch older workers. Using a sample of 6,109 respondents, we used ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models to investigate associations between employment stability facilitators and inhibitors (e.g., promotion, demotion, unemployment) and personal shocks (e.g., divorce, widowhood) and subjective evaluations of satisfaction with the work and family domains of career between genders. Using a follow-up sample (N=4,106), we employed ordinal logistic regression models to investigate the impact of these baseline subjective evaluations on retirement adjustment at follow-up. Employment stability factors such as demotion and unemployment, and personal shocks such as poor psychological health were associated with subjective evaluations of the work and family career domains. Gender differences in these associations were found. Evaluations in both the work and family domains were associated with retirement adjustment at follow-up. Our results demonstrate the importance of life course events on older workers' evaluations of their careers and the long-term impact of subjective career evaluations. Further research is needed to evaluate the predictive utility of these evaluations for other outcomes in older adulthood.

The role of the community pharmacy work system in the enactment of pharmacists' non-technical skills.

Non-technical skills are recognised as important in various work domains, but have been the subject of debate regarding their role in ergonomics/human factors, given their focus on human behaviour itself rather than the interaction between people and systems. This study aimed to examine the relationship between non-technical skills and the work system in which they are enacted. The study setting was community pharmacies in England. Qualitative data were obtained from observation of seven pharmacists and semi-structured interviews with 16 pharmacists, and subjected to thematic analysis. Elements of their work system were found to be related to their non-technical skills; either by creating a need for the skill in the first place, or by facilitating or inhibiting its enactment. The findings highlight the importance of considering the work system that contextualises individuals' and teams' behaviour, in addition to the behaviour itself, when investigating non-technical skills.

Cognitive Task Analysis: Eliciting Expert Cognition in Context

Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) is a powerful methodological approach that can enhance the rigorous elicitation and documentation of complex cognitive processes within interview-based qualitative research. We provide insights into this set of semi-structured interviewing techniques that we contend have much to offer management researchers who wish to understand the complexities of expert cognition within specific work-related tasks. Distinct from traditional semi-structured interview methods, CTA is designed to identify the knowledge requirements underpinning expertise in complex work domains. First, we present CTA as a robust approach to eliciting complex cognition and note why, when, and where management scholars might best use its techniques. Second, we provide two examples of how CTA methods have been used to research management; specifically, using the Critical Decision Method to explore management in high-stakes environments, and Applied Cognitive Task Analysis to explore global leadership. In ending, we propose greater use of this pragmatic approach in management research and highlight potential avenues for future research that will advance understanding of complex cognition at work.

Perceived leader inclusion and employee work-to-family conflict: a daily diary study

PurposeEmployees’ perceived inclusion has been shown to have beneficial effects on their effective functioning at work (e.g. engagement, creativity, and task performance); however, workplace inclusion is also believed to have a profound impact on employees’ functioning beyond the work domain, such as on their family domain. The primary goal of our study thus is to explore how perceptions of workplace inclusion influence employees’ family lives.Design/methodology/approachWe tested our hypotheses by surveying 125 employees from a cotton textile manufacturing company in China over 10 consecutive workdays.FindingsDaily perceived leader inclusion was negatively related to employees’ daily resource depletion at work, which in turn was positively related to employees’ daily work-to-family conflict. The direct effect of daily perceived leader inclusion on resource depletion and the indirect effect of daily perceived leader inclusion on work-to-family conflict were stronger for employees with more discrimination experience in their lives.Practical implicationsLeaders should be aware of their unique roles they play in shaping individual inclusion perceptions and should enact actions that satisfy employees’ desires for both belongingness and uniqueness. Moreover, leaders should also be attentive to those who are susceptible to discrimination when promoting inclusion initiatives.Originality/valueOur study proposes an important facet of workplace inclusion—perceived leader inclusion—and offers a resource perspective to understand how leader inclusion may impact employees’ functioning beyond the work domain to affect their family lives.

‘I may have to give up on my career.’ Breadwinners or caregivers? Exploring the complexities of work-family conflict among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities

Objectives The current study attempts to explore the work-family conflict experienced by working parents providing primary care for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) in India. Methods A qualitative research design was utilized. A semi-structured interview of 20 working parents was carried out and was subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results Based on the responses from the one-on-one interview, it was revealed that working parents experienced overlapping work-related issues, family-related issues, caregiving-related issues, and physical and emotional exhaustion impacting their work, family, and caregiving domains. Conclusions Working parents of children with NDDs experience work-family conflict in which caregiving duties, work responsibilities, and family demands interfere with one another substantially. Based on their responses, a few caregiver-friendly workplace policies were formulated. The present findings would enable policymakers to formulate caregiver-friendly workplace policies to assist family caregivers.

Assessing the Measurement Quality of Justice Evaluations of Earnings in Europe

How individuals perceive the fairness of their pay carries profound implications for individuals and society. Perceptions of pay injustice are linked to a spectrum of negative outcomes, including diminished well-being, poor health, increased stress, and depressive symptoms, alongside various detrimental effects in the work domain. Despite the far-reaching impact of these justice evaluations, validity evidence on their measurement in survey research is missing. Two measurement strategies dominate applied justice research with surveys: Asking for evaluations using a response scale or relying on measures of the just reward to capture fairness. It remains an unresolved question which of these two prevailing approaches—corresponding to the concepts of expressed justice and experienced justice, respectively—yields more robust and high-quality assessments, especially in cross-country research contexts where measurement consistency is critical. This study evaluates the measurement quality of these two approaches using the European Social Survey, which encompasses 29 countries. Our comparative analysis of experienced and expressed justice for gross and net earnings offers comprehensive insights into measurement choices in cross-national surveys. We find that nonresponse to income questions significantly undermines the measurement quality of experienced justice due to its dependence on actual earnings data. Moreover, while both experienced and expressed justice correlate with related concepts as anticipated, the patterns are more consistently observed in expressed justice. These findings suggest that survey practitioners aiming to measure distributive justice of earnings may favor expressed justice instruments, particularly those utilizing rating scales, for efficient and rigorous evaluation.