Employees In Norway Research Articles

What are the Drivers for Innovative Behavior in Frontline Jobs? A Study of the Hospitality Industry in Norway

Studying innovation in the service industry has become an important research area in the past years. However, there is still a lack of research related to innovation on the individual level in a specific work role. In this study the researchers focus on innovation at the individual level, which is referred to as innovative behavior. The aim of the researchers in this study is to identify and examine the drivers to innovative behavior in frontline jobs in the hospitality sector. A conceptual model of drivers to innovative behavior was developed and tested based on a survey in which 158 hotel frontline employees in Norway participated. The hypothesised relationships were tested using partial least-squares as the approach to structural-equation modelling. The findings revealed that employee creativity is a key driver to employee innovative behavior. To understand more fully the factors driving employee innovative behavior, the researchers in this study also examined three antecedents to employee creativity. The results show that, from the greatest to the least effect, company-empowerment practices, familiarity with company vision, and employee commitment are all significantly related to employee creativity. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are also provided.

Whistle-blowing in the police

It has been argued that police organizations make whistle-blowing very difficult. This paper reports from a study of all court cases against police employees in Norway in 2008. In the empirical study it was found that 30% of the cases originated from internal whistle-blowing while 70% of the cases originated from external complaints.

Crime and motive as predictors of jail sentence for police misconduct

The great majority of individuals involved in policing are committed to honourable and competent public service. However, when police misconduct does occur, there is a tendency to consider police crime as a result of bad practise, lack of resources or mismanagement, rather than acts of criminals. However, archival analysis of prosecuted police officers in Norway document that criminal acts are intentionally carried out by police officers on duty. This paper reports results from a study of 57 prosecuted police employees in Norway. Crime and motive were studied as potential predictors of jail sentence. Crime was measured on a scale from physical to non-physical crime, motive was measured on a scale from profession-based to profit-based motive, while sentence was measured in terms of days imprisonment decided in court. Statistical analysis confirmed that crime and motive combined can predict the number of prison days, but only crime was a significant predictor.

Absenteeism in the Nordic countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the drivers of absenteeism and gives information of the relationship between absenteeism and personal and organizational characteristics in the Nordic countries.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical assumptions are tested empirically on data from a survey carried out in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. 10.748 employees from randomly selected households participated. Differences were examined using analysis of variance.FindingsAmong the findings are that Danish employees are less absent than employees in Norway, Finland and Sweden. Employees working in the public sector, more specific the municipalities, have a higher level of absence compared to the private sector. According to the personal characteristics, women are more absent than men in all Nordic countries, but the effect of age differs according to the country in question. If the manager however is a woman and the employee likewise, then the level of absence is higher in Denmark, Norway and Finland compared to the other gender constellations.Originality/valueBecause of the lack of international comparative studies of absenteeism in the Nordic countries, this paper brings new and a deeper understanding of the area as a basis of further empirical research and/or management concern.

Ovarian cancer and occupational exposure among pulp and paper employees in Norway

A cohort study of female pulp and paper workers in Norway has shown a significantly increased risk of ovarian cancer. Other than the involvement of hormonal and reproductive factors, little is known of the etiology of ovarian cancer. Asbestos and talc are two agents hypothesized to influence the development of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the association between ovarian cancer and occupational exposure to asbestos, talc, and total dust among Norwegian pulp and paper workers. Forty-six cases of ovarian cancer, with four controls each, were included in the study. Occupational exposure was assessed by combining work histories from personnel files, questionnaire information about production processes, and exposure assessments from the mills. To obtain information about possible confounders, cases and controls were invited to participate in a personal interview. The odds ratio for asbestos exposure was 2.02, 95% confidence interval 0.72-5.66. For talc exposure, the odds ratio was 1.10, and for ever exposure to total dust, it was below 1.00. The risk estimates did not essentially differ after adjustment for possible confounding variables. The results do not confirm an association between exposure to asbestos, talc, and total dust and ovarian cancer among Norwegian pulp and paper workers. However, the odds ratio for asbestos exposure was doubled, and control for established nonoccupational risk factors did not change the estimate. Therefore, the possibility that exposure to substances in the work environment contributes to the elevated risk cannot be rejected.

Self-Reported Skin and Respiratory Symptoms Related to Latex Exposure among 5,087 Hospital Employees in Norway

Background: Latex allergy has become prevalent among health care workers. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of self-reported symptoms related to latex exposure among hospital personnel. Methods: Questionnaires addressing symptoms and risk factors for latex allergy were distributed to all employees (n = 5,087) at Haukeland University Hospital. Results: Symptoms associated with latex exposure were reported by 23.8% of the participants. Skin symptoms were most frequently reported – flushing/itching/hives: 21.0%, hand eczema: 11.8% – while systemic and respiratory symptoms were reported by 1.4 and 1.2%, respectively. Approximately twice as many women than men reported symptoms (odds ratio 2.55, confidence interval 2.04–3.18). Symptoms were reported by 33.7% of those with atopy and by 20.0% of those without. The occurrence of symptoms increased significantly with the frequency of use of latex gloves but was unrelated to age, years of exposure or number of surgical procedures. Conclusions: The occurrence of self-reported symptoms was associated with the frequent use of latex gloves, atopy and female gender.

Do Women or Men Have the Less Healthy Jobs? An Analysis of Gender Differences in Sickness Absence

In terms of wages and authority women are in less favourable jobs than men. This study examines whether women's jobs are also associated with more negative health consequences. Women's higher levels of sickness absence suggest that this might indeed be the case. Utilizing two large data-sets representative of the population of all employees in Norway, this study shows, however, that the gender difference in sickness absence is not due to women being in less healthy jobs. This conclusion is reached by comparing men and women who are both in the same detailed occupational category and at the same workplace, utilizing fixed-effects logistic regression models. This detailed control tends to increase rather than reduce the gender difference in sickness absence. This holds both for sickness absence in general and for major diagnostic categories. A single exception is psychological diagnoses: there is some tendency for women to be overrepresented in jobs with high levels of absence due to psychological conditions

Work load, job control and risk of leaving work by sickness certification before delivery, Norway 1989

Sickness absence in pregnancy has been shown to be associated with strenuous working conditions and parity. So far, few studies have made adjustments for possible interaction and confounding. Such adjustments are needed to more precisely identify targets for preventive measures. We have, therefore, in a representative population of pregnant employees in Norway 1989, computed adjusted odds ratios for leaving work by sickness absence more than three (LSC > 3) and eight (LSC > 8) weeks before delivery according to working conditions identified as risk factors in earlier studies; adjusted for job control, domestic conditions and sickness absence the year prior to pregnancy. The cumulative percentage of LSC > 8 and LSC > 3 was 26.4 and 51.1. Ergonomically strenuous postures and heavy lifting increased the risk of both outcomes. In addition, shift work and hectic work pace increased the risk of LSC > 3. Influence on breaks reduced risk. Only para experienced reduced risk of LSC when working part-time. Sicklisting the year prior to pregnancy had no confounding effect, which suggest that pregnancy represents a new incompatibility with work. Preventive measures should address work postures and heavy lifting, as well as conditions influencing the woman's control with her time.