Favourable Work Environment Research Articles

Do Satisfied Older Employees Perceive More Social Support Over Time? A Cross-Lagged Examination.

Perceived social support has traditionally been examined as an antecedent of well-being, including job satisfaction. The current study offers a new perspective in which job satisfaction can be both an antecedent and outcome of support in older employees. Two wave data from 910 older employees who participated in the Health and Retirement Study were used to test the hypotheses using a cross-lagged panel model. The results indicate that job satisfaction predicts subsequent perceived support from both supervisors and coworkers. However, perceived support from either supervisors or coworkers does not predict subsequent job satisfaction. The discussion suggests that unsatisfied employees, who likely are in greater need of support from their supervisors and peers, perceive having less support available to them. Practically, interventions aimed at increasing satisfaction might also benefit employees' perceived support, and organizations could leverage our findings to create more favorable work environments.

Association of Work Environment With Missed and Rushed Care Tasks Among Care Aides in Nursing Homes

In Canada, approximately 81% of residents of nursing homes live with mild to severe cognitive impairment. Care needs of this population are increasingly complex, but resources, such as staffing, for nursing homes continue to be limited. Staff risk missing or rushing care tasks and interfering with quality of care and life. To assess the association of work environment with missing and rushing essential care tasks in nursing homes. This cross-sectional study used survey data collected from a random sample of 93 urban nursing homes in Western Canada, stratified by health region, owner-operator model, and facility size, between May and December 2017. All 5411 eligible care aides were invited to participate, and 4016 care aides agreed and completed structured, computer-assisted interviews in person. Analyses were conducted from July 4, 2018, to February 27, 2019. Self-reported number of essential care tasks missed (range, 0-8) or rushed (range, 0-7) in the most recent shift. Two-level random intercept hurdle regressions controlled for care aide, care unit, and nursing home characteristics. Of 4016 care aides, 2757 (68.7%) were 40 years or older, 3574 (89.1%) were women, and 1353 (66.3%) spoke English as an additional language. For their most recent shift, 2306 care aides (57.4%) reported missing at least 1 essential care task and 2628 care aides (65.4%) reported rushing at least 1 essential care task. Care aides on units with more favorable work environments (eg, more effective leadership, better work culture, higher levels of buffering resources) were less likely to miss any care tasks (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.34-1.90; P < .001) and less likely to rush any care task (odds ratio, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.38-1.99; P < .001). This study found that rates of missed and rushed essential care in Canadian nursing homes were high and were higher in units with less favorable work environments. This finding suggests that work environment should be added to the list of modifiable factors associated with improving nursing home care, as it may be an important pathway for improving quality of care. Further research is needed to understand associations of missed and rushed care and of improving work environments with outcomes among residents of nursing homes.

К вопросу о роли Ф.-Ж. Фетиса в формировании французской органной школы второй половины XIX века

The article focuses on life and work of the Belgian musicologist F. J. Fetis— the first director of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. His enthusiasm about Bach’s music influenced the formation of the French-Belgian organ playing school and the repertoire of the second half of the 19th century. His influence would not be possible without his active journalistic work and his high profile as a musicologist and a theorist. He managed to create favorable working environment for the first graduates of the conservatory, in particular, J.-N. Lemmens. His position as a follower of Bach’s tradition was instrumental in raising the profile of the conservatory. It also helped to attract musicians not only from Belgium, but also from France. In the 1860s, Lemmens used Bach’s works to train Guilmant and Widor, young French organists and composers studying at the Brussels Conservatory. By the end of the 19th century, the work of the two composers laid the foundation for the “new” organ repertoire, which was very much needed already in the middle of the century. “Serious” music that followed Bach’s tradition contrasted with the spontaneous sentimental improvisation of a number of other French organ composers. Towards the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Fetis's aesthetic preferences, through Lemmens' pedagogical work, eventually shaped a substantive part of the organ repertoire. The new repertoire was marked by the revival of choral works based on Gregorian chants. Thus, a series of examples shows the continuity of the traditions of choral works by the 18th century German composers and the 1950s and the 20th century French composers.

Stress and coping strategies among nurse managers

Background: The role of Nurse Managers (NMs) is dynamic, multifaceted and complex thus, exposing NMs to high levels of work-related stress which seriously impact general wellbeing, and organizational outcomes.Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional approach was employed to examine the phenomenon of stress among NMs in 38 selected hospitals. Census approach was used to collect data from 267 NMs. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to describe the sample and established the predictors of stress.Results: The main causes of stress among NMs are a shortage of staff (94.4%), poor working conditions (91.8%), inadequate management support (89.9%) and heavy workload (89.15%). NMs experienced all the types of stress (psychological, emotional and physical). The major stress coping mechanisms are time management (91.8%), effective communication (91%) and delegation of duties (89.5%) while excessive eating (18.4%) is the least strategy used. Sociodemographic characteristics together explained 6.4% of stress among NMs [R2 = .064, F(6,241) = 2.676, p = .016].Conclusions: Senior managers of hospitals should create a favourable working environment for nurses and the appointment of NMs should be based on experience and competence. Implication for Nursing Practice: Stress among healthcare managers especially, NMs is very common. This current study has extensively proven that stress among NMs affects their general health as well as patient safety and quality of care. Training on stress management should be organized regularly for hospital staff particularly, NMs to enable them to cope better with stress.

Intention to leave among bullied university personnel

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to reveal the degree of intention to leave and the relation between bullying and intention to leave, as well as the relation between features of the working environment and intention to leave among Estonian university personnel.Design/methodology/approachA total of 864 faculty members from nine Estonian universities answered the e-mail questionnaire in the Spring of 2014. The nature of bullying was measured with the help of the Negative Acts Questionnaire. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was applied in a survey of characteristics of the work environment. The relations were analysed with the help of structural equation modelling.FindingsMore than one third of the respondents had considered quitting sometimes, quite often, or very often. The results show that perceived bullying is a predictor of intention to leave, whereas a favourable working environment prevents quitting.Research limitations/implicationsThe present results can be utilised from at least three perspectives: cultural and institutional studies, leadership practices and personal work control.Practical implicationsKnowing the characteristics of bullying helps in recognising and preventing bullying and aids in improving the working atmosphere at universities.Originality/valueThis study revealed that besides directly, bullying is related to explained intention to leave indirectly, mediated by (negative) work environment perceptions. This indicates that bullying gives rise to an unfavourable working atmosphere and further to intention to leave.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the good management work habits scale

Purpose Good managerial work habits are essential for creating a favorable work environment that can stimulate everyone’s performance. This papers aims to explore the psychometric properties of the good management work habits (GMWH) scale for a group of 464 Lebanese working adults. Design/methodology/approach A two-step approach was used. A first split-half of the sample affirmed that the GMWH scale had a factorial structure, and a factorial analysis used in the second split-half confirmed this. Jointly, the two split-half tests demonstrated the predictive and discriminant validity of the scale. Findings After validating the GMWH scale, this study substantiated the psychometric legitimacy of the GMWH test and confirmed its effectiveness in assessing organizational attributes. Research limitations/implications This study focused on Lebanese managers only and future studies should be extended to assess the GMWH scale’s validity in other countries. Moreover, the variables of organizational culture and gender were not taken into account in this study. Practical implications The GMWH scale can be applied to determine the negative effects of stress on performance to improve an organization’s productivity. Evaluating managers' self-perceptions of their work habits may improve relations with their subordinates and the organization as a whole. Originality/value The work habits of a company’s managers play a key role in organizational outcomes and have a ripple effect on all parties in the organization, from subordinates to other managers. This study proposes a validated tool for a company’s leaders to evaluate managers’ perceptions of their work habits and contributes beneficial knowledge to future research on practical ways to measure the work skills of managers.

How helping behaviours at work stimulate innovation in the organization: evidence from a moderated-mediation model

ABSTRACTThis study explores the question of whether and how seeking and giving help in a favourable work environment relate to innovation performance at the organisational level. Empirical findings based on 360 employees from four construction sites under a large Chinese multinational organisation showed that help seeking predicted innovation and mediated the relationship between relationship quality and organisation’s innovation performance. Moreover, a higher level of help giving not only improves innovation directly, but also strengthens the positive relationship between help seeking and innovation performance. We also estimated an integrated model to reveal that help giving moderates the mediated relationship between relationship quality and innovation through help seeking channel. This research links relational perspective with creative cognition and componential theory of creativity to clarify how the interaction of help seeking and help giving leads to innovation, and thus contributes to the existing literature by clarifying whether and under what conditions help seeking can be helpful to promote innovation in an organisation. Further theoretical and practical implications along with future research directions are also discussed.

Job satisfaction of health care professionals in emergency medical aid in Varna district

Exploring the factors that affect job satisfaction is important for the management of human resources and optimal functioning of the organization. A job satisfaction survey of the health care professionals at the Center for Emergency Medical Care - Varna has been made. The survey includes 98 respondents (nurses, midwives and feldshers) working in the nine subsidiaries of the Center: Varna, Aksakovo, Beloslav, Byala, Valchi Dol, Dalgopol, Devnya, Dolni Chiflik and Provadia, which represents 95% of the list of all health care professionals in the Center. The information was obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire. The results show that payment and social benefits are rated as the most influential factors by 82,7% of respondents, followed by working conditions (73,5%), team relationships (70,4%), job security (60,2%). It is necessary to maintain favorable working environment factors because only the professional satisfied with the job is motivated to stay working for a long time in emergency medical aid.

Association Between Leadership Practices and Self-Efficacy of Personnel

The student achievement is the direct outcome of the effort expended by the teachers in the classroom. To get the teachers engaged in the classroom efficiently and diligently it is very necessary to provide them with a conducive and favorable working environment in school for which only the head teachers is capable and responsible to achieve the highest level of success. Teachers’ self-efficacy is affected directly by the head teachers’ leadership practices. This study was designed to explore the correlation between head teachers’ leadership practices and teachers’ self-efficacy. Correlation research design was used to conduct this study by applying survey method. The population of the study was consisted of secondary schools teachers. A sample of two hundred students was selected by conveniently sampling technique. Researchers collected data by self-developed questionnaire on five point likert scale related to leadership practices and teachers’ self-efficacy. There was significant positive moderate relationship between leadership practices and teachers self-efficacy. Both male and female teachers’ had same perceptions about leadership practices and self-efficacy at secondary level. Head teachers may motivate and entice teachers positively to increase the level of teacher efficacy. Basic facilities may provide to the teachers to improve their self-efficacy. Keywords: Heads’ leadership practices, teachers’ self-efficacy, motivation, and facilities DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-16-07 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

Análisis de la estructura organizacional basada en centros integrales de servicios y el clima organizacional de Corpoelec Falcón, Venezuela, 2018

El artículo estudia la relación entre una nueva estructura y el clima organizacional en la empresa eléctrica Corpoelec Falcón (Venezuela), específicamente en la Gerencia de Comercialización, Distribución y Uso Racional y Eficiente de la Energía, en 2018. El tipo de estudio fue descriptivo y correlacional bajo un diseño no experimental, de campo y transversal aplicado sobre una muestra de 34 trabajadores del área de comercial de la empresa. Los resultados arrojaron un coeficiente de correlación de Pearson de 0,882 entre las variables estructura organizativa basada en centros integrales de servicios y clima organizacional dentro de Corpoelec Falcón. De este modo, se puede concluir que existe un clima laboral favorable en dicho centro de trabajo. Asimismo, se sugiere que la empresa aproveche dicho elemento para establecer mejora institucional.

Nurse practitioner primary care organizational climate questionnaire: Item response theory and differential item functioning.

To validate Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Organizational Climate Questionnaire (NP-PCOCQ) items using item response theory (IRT) models and conduct differential item functioning (DIF) analysis to test the item functioning among nurse practitioners (NPs) practicing in different U.S. states with variable regulations governing NP practice. Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Organizational Climate Questionnaire is the only NP-specific tool measuring NP work environment and is being used in different U.S. states with variable NP scope of practice regulations and internationally to produce evidence about NP work environments within their organisations. Cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 278 primary care NPs in New York (NY) and 314 NPs in Massachusetts (MA). NPs completed the 29-item NP-PCOCQ. Data collection involved an online survey in NY and a mail survey in MA in 2012. We used Samejima's graded response model for IRT and ordinal logistic regression for DIF analysis. A STROBE checklist was completed. IRT models yielded discrimination parameters ranging from 0.98-4.65 in NY and 1.25-6.94 in MA. Item difficulty parameters were within -3 to +3 range, suggesting a fair range of item difficulties exist in the scale. Only five of the 29 items on NP-PCOCQ exhibited DIF, suggesting some other state-related factor besides the measured construct influenced item responses; thus, the items were removed. Our findings indicate that a shortened, 24-item NP-PCOCQ is capable of measuring organisational climate of NPs practicing in different U.S. states. NP-PCOCQ can be used in future research to measure NP work environment. The tool can also be used by practice administrators to assess NP work environment and identify deficiencies to address them. This evidence about NP work environment can be used by practice administrators to promote favourable work environments for NPs to deliver high-quality care.

What are they returning to? Psychosocial work environment as a predictor of returning to work among employees in treatment for common mental disorders: A prospective observational pre-post study.

IntroductionLong-term sick leave and disabilities due to common mental disorders are challenging for society, employers, and individuals. Hence, we wanted to investigate whether psychosocial work environments experienced by employees undergoing treatment for such disorders was associated with return to work.MethodsAt the start of treatment, 164 patients responded to questionnaires concerning their psychosocial work environment (the Job Demand–Control–Support model and the Effort–Reward Imbalance model), symptoms (The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure) and ability to work (Work Ability Index). In addition, the respondents reported whether they were working or on sick leave at the start and end of their courses of treatment. Their therapists provided information about diagnoses.ResultsReturn to work was associated with control of decisions, support from colleagues, esteem, and job promotion opportunities as measured at the start of treatment. In multivariate analyses, control over decisions and job promotion opportunities continued to predict return to work when adjusted for symptoms, current work ability, and expected future work ability.DiscussionThe working conditions that predicted return to work are considered to facilitate work performance and to be sources of motivation, job satisfaction, and job commitment. Consequently, it is important to examine whether this patient group has a favorable working environment and consider changes in the workplace if the environment is not favorable.

Employee retention at ‘Precious’ English language course in Surabaya

Employee retention is related to the ways in which an organization keeps its employees. Failure to maintain employee retention may lead to unfavorable issues that negatively affect an organization’s performance. As a medium-sized organization, the Precious English Language training institution presents a unique state of employee retention in employing a balanced number of full-time and part-time teachers, most of whom have served at the institution between 10 and 29 years. The research on employee retention at Precious was conducted qualitatively and studied teachers who had served over ten years. The study also used other related artefacts to support findings. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted alongside observation of the teachers. The research results suggest that employee retention at Precious has been a natural result of the physically and emotionally favorable work environment that has arisen from the institution’s effort to maintain excellent teaching methods and persistent organization culture. Such job satisfaction has led to open employee engagement which has further contributed to the organization’s employee retention. The organization’s non-existence employee retention plan (that primarily uses non-financial rewards) has naturally led to increased employee retention alongside a drive to maintain the quality of the institution’s teaching in English Language.

Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids and associated factors among health care workers at the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundOccupational exposure to blood and body fluids (BBFs) is a serious concern for health care workers (HCWs) and presents a major risk factor for transmission of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, and human immune deficiency virus. The main objective of this study was to assess the magnitudes of occupational exposure of blood and body fluids and associated factors among health workers at the University of Gondar Hospital.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 February to 31 May 2017 at the University of Gondar Hospital. A total of 282 health care workers were selected by simple random sampling technique. Descriptive data was presented as absolute number with percentage, and multivariate analysis was used to assess the statistical association between associated factors and occupational exposure to BBFs. A P value of < 0.05 was considered as statistical significant.ResultA total of 282 HCWs participated with the mean (±SD) age of 30.51 ± 5.86 year. Of the total, 58.5% (165) and 42.2% (119) of the study participants had been exposed to BBFs splash and needlestick injury (NSI) in their lifetime, respectively. However, 39.0% (110) and 20.6% (58) of the HCWs were exposed to splash and NSI in the past 1 year, respectively. Not wearing eye goggle, lack of training on infection prevention, taking of HBV vaccination, and recapping of used needle were risk factors associated with BBFs splash exposure, whereas taking HBV vaccination and recapping of used needle were associated risk factors with NSI exposure.ConclusionThis study showed a high percentage of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among health care workers. Not wearing eye goggle, HBV vaccine status, and recapping needles were found to be independent predictors of occupational exposure to BBFs among HCWs. Therefore, relevant stakeholders need to formulate strategies to create a favorable working environment and increase their adherence to universal precautions.

Personnel issues in academic libraries in Cross River State, South-South, Nigeria

This paper assesses personnel issues in academic libraries in Cross River State in South-south, Nigeria. The paper highlights the importance of personnel in Nigerian academic libraries. It further identifies personnel issues and impacts of such issues in academic libraries. The methodology adopted for the study was a survey research design and total enumeration to cover the 56 personnel in three academic libraries involved in the study. The instrument used for gathering data is questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as tables and percentages. The paper concludes that, a well-managed organization views personnel as the root source of quality and productivity gains. Enhanced job performance cannot take place in the absence of personnel motivation, promotion, favorable work environment with the integration of ICT in library services, personnel development/training, especially in this ICT age. Job stress should not be overlooked because work stress could affect the health and well-being of personnel. Recommendations were made for improved service delivery by personnel in academic libraries. Keywords : Academic Libraries, Cross River State, Nigeria, Personnel, South-south

Workplace flourishing: Measurement, antecedents and outcomes

Orientation: The continuous growth of employee attrition, especially within the highly skilled talent pool, is becoming increasingly problematic. Therefore, one should continually explore the different factors that impact employee retention and performance. This casts the attention to the person–environment fit and workplace flourishing (WF).Research purpose: This study explored relationships among person–environment fit, WF, intention to leave (ITL), in-role performance and organisational citizenship behaviour.Motivation for the study: Disease-driven research heavily outweighs health promotion research. Therefore, more research is needed regarding positive employee behaviours such as strengths, optimal functioning and flourishing.Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used with 258 secondary school teachers from two Gauteng districts. The Perceived Fit, Flourishing-at-Work, Turnover Intention, In-Role Behaviour and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour scales were administered. Structural equation modelling and mediational analyses were performed.Main findings: Results confirmed WF’s three-factor structure. Person–environment fit positively associated with WF. Workplace flourishing negatively related to ITL, while positively relating to in-role performance and organisational citizenship behaviour. Person–environment fit indirectly affected in-role performance and organisational citizenship behaviour via WF.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should continually modify their strategic frameworks to maintain a healthy balance between individual and environmental characteristics. This will lay the foundation for a favourable work environment. When such an environment is institutionalised, talent retention and performance should follow.Contribution/value-add: The study results should provide new insight into the relationship between the person–environment fit and WF, as well as the effect it may have on ITL and performance.

The Factors Enhancing Work Passion of Family Successors in the Life Insurance Business in Thailand: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach

The purpose of this study was 1) to understand the successors’ attitude toward working in the insurance business with family members, and 2) to explore the factors that enhance work passion of successors in working collaboratively with their family members in the life insurance business. This study employed qualitative methodology with the use of the appreciative inquiry (4D-Dialogue) approach. Using triangulation of data sources, 36 key informants were recruited, 18 were successors that work with their parents, and 18 were parents of these successors. All of the participants worked together in one life insurance company in Thailand. Data were collected using focus group semi-structured interviews. Content analysis with analytic induction was used as the analytical tool. Trustworthiness was built through data triangulation, member checking, and peer debriefing. The results indicated that, for the first objective, the successors’ attitude toward working in the insurance business with their family consisted of four attitudes: 1.1) against; 1.2) unwilling; 1.3) willing, but lost; and 1.4) willing and successful. Regarding the second objective, five factors were found: 2.1) Goals: support of personal goals, help with self-development, enhancing the family happiness, and showing gratitude for family kindness; 2.2) Content: work aligned with expertise or educational background, and work being meaningful; 2.3) Coaching: appropriate coaching strategy, systematic professional coaching strategy, fairness, sharing pride in success; 2.4) Family: encouragement without pressure and caring; and 2.5) Organization: organization’s image, favorable work environment, and experience of positive outcomes from the life insurance business. Then, for the Design phrase, the action plan “FAMILY,” which comprised of F-Finale with Family; A-Attitude and Ability through Activities; M-Motivating Appropriately; I-Ideal People/Team; L-Leading through Vision/Leading through Coaching; and Y-Yes Club of the future, was offered. To summarize, a 4D-Dialogue for the appreciative inquiry was proposed.

Entorno laboral saludable en las instituciones educativas y riesgos psicosociales del personal docente

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo determinar la importancia de un entorno laboral saludable en las instituciones de educación para la minimización de los riesgos psicosociales del personal docente. En el mismo se desarrollan conceptualizaciones generales sobre las dos variables y se clasifican los riesgos psicosociales, para lo cual se analiza las propuestas conceptuales de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (2010), Organización Panamericana de la Salud (2015) y la Organización Internacional del Trabajo. Se usó como metodología la revisión bibliográfica de los documentos oficiales que al respecto publican estas tres organizaciones e investigaciones relacionadas la temática como las de García (2016) y Moreno y Báez (2010) entre otras. Se destacan entre las consideraciones finales la coincidencia que existe entre los tres organismos al manifestar que para alcanzar entornos laborales saludables, se deben evitar al máximo los riesgos psicosociales a través de la promoción de ambientes sanos, mejorando de esta manera la calidad de vida de los docentes. La correcta adecuación de todos los ámbitos que confluyen en un mismo espacio de trabajo es fundamental para conseguir un entorno laboral favorable que prevenga riesgos y fomente la salud y el bienestar entre los docentes. De igual manera resalta la importancia, que cada día se afianza con mayor fuerza, de consolidar entornos laborales saludables, donde los riesgos psicosociales se muestran como factores de indiscutible estudio y búsqueda sostenida y efectiva de soluciones prácticas con énfasis en el logro del bienestar físico y mental del talento humano.

Employee Satisfaction as per Working Environment in King Salaman Military Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

In the current knowledge economy, it is important for organizations to utilise their resources in growing a favourable working environment for its employees. Development and sustenance of a reliable working environment is a prerequisite for a company to achieve effective growth and maximum productivity in the current era of cut throat competition. Job satisfaction is directly linked with a healthy work environment and researches have indicated the presence of several components in determining the job satisfaction rate for any employee. This research has used a cross&amp;ndash;sectional descriptive design within the premises of King Salaman Military hospital in Tabuk. The data was collected through questionnaire from 139 employees of King Salaman Military hospital. The research has found that the overall satisfaction has a statistical relationship with gender and nationality whereas no statistical relationship was observed between nature of work and overall satisfaction, educational level, age group, and years of experience.

Factors influencing nurses' willingness to lead.

To identify factors influencing nurses' willingness to lead. Given the ageing workforce and the projected retirement of nurse leaders, there is a concern about nursing leadership shortages in the next decade. Several studies have shown that nurses are not interested in pursuing leadership positions, but studies investigating nurses' willingness to lead and related predictors remain limited. A workforce survey of 1,201 direct-care nurses was conducted in Oregon. Logistic regression modelling was used to identify factors influencing the likelihood of nurses' willingness to lead. Fifty-three percent of nurses were willing to pursue leadership roles. Years of experience, job burnout, the perception of the work environment, adequacy of leadership preparation, and the amount of salary and compensation were significant predictors of nurses' willingness to lead. Increasing nurses' participation in hospital affairs and providing adequate leadership preparation, parts of the work environment, prior to engaging them in leadership roles is recommended to improve their attitudes about leading. Recruitment of future nursing leaders should not be based solely on demographics such as age and gender. Rather, recruiters should focus on creating more favourable work environments in which to lead.