Higher Levels Of Work Research Articles

GENDER, OCCUPATIONAL CLASS AND WORK–LIFE CONFLICT

Although people from different countries may report similar scores on measures of work–life conflict, the factors which give rise to conflict may in fact be very different. Full-time working respondents to the 2002 Family module International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) in both Portugal and Britain were assessed for country, gender and occupational class differences in work–life conflict, focusing on both work and domestic spheres. Two distinct groups emerged as having very high levels of work–life conflict: routine and manual women in Portugal and professional and managerial women in Britain. It is suggested that very long hours of domestic work, combined with worries over unsatisfactory childcare arrangements and a lack of support from partners and informal networks, contribute to the high levels of conflict experienced by women working in routine and manual occupations in Portugal. The pressures of very long working hours, combined with a perception of increasing work demands, as well as additional domestic work, contribute to the high levels of work–life conflict for women working in professional and managerial occupations in Britain.

Effects of cold work prior to aging on microstructure of AEREX™350 superalloy

The influence of different amounts of cold work on the evolution of microstructure during subsequent aging of AEREX™350 superalloy was investigated. Simple compression testing was used to impose desired plastic strain while microhardness testing, XRD, SEM and TEM techniques were used to characterize the response of the alloy following aging treatment. It was found that high levels of cold work followed by aging resulted in a drastic increase in the formation of Widmanstättan η phase and incidence of shear bands in the microstructure. Based on microstructural data, the effect of plastic strain on η phase formation and the physical origin of the localized shear bands are discussed.

The mental health effects of multiple work and family demands

Individuals who experience work stress or heavy family demands are at elevated risk of poor mental health. Yet, the cumulative effects of multiple work and family demands are not well known, particularly in men. We studied the association between multiple work and family demands and sickness absence due to non-psychotic psychiatric disorders in a longitudinal study conducted among members of the French GAZEL cohort study (8,869 men, 2,671 women) over a period of 9 years (1995-2003). Work stress and family demands were measured by questionnaire. Medically certified psychiatric sickness absence data were obtained directly from the employer. Rate ratios (RRs) of sickness absence were calculated using Poisson regression models, adjusting for age, marital status, social support, stressful life events, alcohol consumption, body mass and depressive symptoms at baseline. Participants simultaneously exposed to high levels of work and family demands (> or =2 work stress factors and > or =4 dependents) had significantly higher rates of sickness absence due to non-psychotic psychiatric disorders than participants with lower levels of demands (compared to participants exposed to 0-1 work stress factors and with 1-3 dependents, age-adjusted rate ratios were 2.37 (95% CI 1.02-5.52) in men and 6.36 (95% CI 3.38-11.94) in women. After adjusting for baseline socio-demographic, behavioral and health characteristics, these RRs were respectively reduced to 1.82 (95% CI 0.86-3.87) in men, 5.04 (95% CI 2.84-8.90) in women. The effect of multiple work and family demands was strongest for sickness absence due to depression: age-adjusted RRs among participants with the highest level of work and family demands were 4.70 (1.96-11.24) in men, 8.57 (4.26-17.22) in women; fully adjusted RRs: 3.55 (95% CI 1.62-7.77) in men, 6.58 (95%CI 3.46-12.50) in women. Men and women simultaneously exposed to high levels of work stress and family demands are at high risk of experiencing mental health problems, particularly depression.

Lean Management Model for Construction of High-Rise Apartment Buildings

Execution of the finishing works in high-rise apartment buildings is made complex by the need to customize apartments to the varying requirements and designs of individual clients. The conventional construction planning practice of progressing upward from floor to floor breaks down in the face of the arbitrary sequence in which clients finalize their decisions. The results are long cycle times for delivery of completed apartments and corollary high levels of work in progress, budget and schedule overruns, and general dissatisfaction with the process on the part of the developer, contractor, subcontractors, and the clients. Application of lean construction principles to this problem has led to development of a management model that adopts pull scheduling, reduced batch sizes, and a degree of multiskilling. The main benefits expected are an enhanced ability to provide customized apartments, improved cash flow, and reduced apartment delivery cycle times. The model was first formulated in theory, then tested using a management simulation game and computer simulation, and subsequently, developed for practical application. This paper presents an analysis of conventional practice, the theoretical background to the lean approach, and the specific management changes proposed.

High-frequency eddy current conductivity spectroscopy for residual stress profiling in surface-treated nickel-base superalloys

Recent research results indicated that eddy current conductivity measurements can be exploited for nondestructive evaluation of subsurface residual stresses in surface-treated nickel-base superalloy components. Most of the previous experimental studies were conducted on highly peened (Almen 10-16A) specimens that exhibited harmful cold work in excess of 30% plastic strain. Such high level of cold work causes thermo-mechanical relaxation at relatively modest operational temperatures; therefore the obtained results were not directly relevant to engine manufacturers and end users. The main reason for choosing peening intensities in excess of recommended normal levels was that in low-conductivity engine alloys the eddy current penetration depth could not be forced below 0.2 mm without expanding the measurements above 10 MHz which is beyond the operational range of most commercial eddy current instruments. In this paper we report the development of a new high-frequency eddy current conductivity measuring system that offers an extended inspection frequency range up to 50 MHz with a single spiral coil. In addition to its extended frequency range, the new system offers better reproducibility, accuracy, and measurement speed than the previously used conventional system.

Occupational Language Requirements and the Value of English in the U.S. Labor Market

This paper is concerned with the English language requirements (both level and importance) of occupations in the United States, as measured by the O*NET database. These scores are linked to microdata on employed adult (aged 25 to 64) males, both native born and foreign born, as reported in the 2000 Census, one percent sample. Working in an occupation that requires greater English language skills, whether measured by the level of these skills or the importance of English for performing the job, has a large effect on earnings among the native born, and an even larger effect among the foreign born. This effect is reduced by 50 percent, but is still large, when worker characteristics, including their own English language skills, are held constant. Earnings increase with the respondent's own proficiency in English, with the English proficiency required for the occupation, and when those with high levels of proficiency work in jobs requiring English language skills (interaction effect). There is, therefore, a strong economic incentive for the matching of worker's English skills and the occupation's requirements, and this matching does tend to occur in the labor market.

Psychische vermoeidheid en plezier in het werk bij Vlaamse werknemers

Fatigue and job satisfaction among Flemish employees. An application on the JD-R model Fatigue and job satisfaction among Flemish employees. An application on the JD-R model Using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model this study analyses differences in fatigue and well-being in a representative sample of Flemish employees (N = 12095). The JD-R model assumes that the prevalence of high job demands is associated with strain related phenomena such as fatigue, whereas the availability of job resources in the workplace enhances employee well-being. Jobs combining high job demands and low resources result in the most problematic levels of fatigue and employee well-being. Our analysis confirms the assumptions of this model. Work overload, emotional and physical demands, work-home interference and job insecurity are positively associated with fatigue and negatively with employee well-being. Job autonomy, quality of the relation with the supervisor and learning opportunities are negatively associated with fatigue and positively with employee well-being. Partial evidence is found for the buffer hypothesis: at high levels of work overload a rise in job autonomy reduces the level of fatigue and increases the level of employee well-being. Also our analysis shows that a combination of low job autonomy and few learning opportunities at workplace level are associated with extremely high levels of fatigue and very low employee well-being.

Recovery opportunities, work – home interference, and well-being among managers

The present study addressed the associations among various indicators of effort expenditure at work and recovery opportunities (perceived job demands and job control, hours worked overtime, hours worked according to one's contract), work – home interference, and well-being (exhaustion and enjoyment) in a cross-sectional study among 117 male and 82 female managers. Drawing on effort-recovery theory, we expected that high job demands, low job control, a high number of hours worked overtime, and a full-time appointment would be associated with high levels of work – home interference, low levels of enjoyment, and high levels of exhaustion. Stepwise regression analysis largely supported the hypothesis that high job demands and low job control are associated with adverse work outcomes. However, the effects of the number of hours worked overtime and according to one's contract were usually weak and insignificant, suggesting that high effort expenditure does not necessarily have adverse health consequences.

Work–family conflict as a risk factor for sickness absence

Objectives: (1) To study both cross-sectional and prospective relationships between work–family conflict and sickness absence from work; (2) to explore the direction of the relationships between the different types of...

When the Spirit Blooms: Acquiring Higher Education in the Context of Welfare Reform

ABSTRACT Established within a political context greatly influenced by stereotypical assumptions of impoverished women of color, welfare reform codified a work-first philosophy meant to attack perceived “dependency” and spur “self-sufficiency.” This article describes the shortcomings of the work-first approach and highlights the importance of higher education for helping women, and especially women of color, achieve economic well-being. It then reports key findings from a study that examines the impact of higher education on the lives of welfare participants in California. Utilizing a mix of surveys, focus groups, and personal interviews, this study finds that despite the challenges associated with balancing parenthood, college-level coursework, and the bureaucratic demands of welfare reform, the stereotypical notions of the “welfare queen” do not apply. Instead, study participants exhibited a high level of ambition, persistence, determination, and hard work in pursuit of their educational ambitions; and in the process, improved their lives and the lives of their children.

Relationship Between Cognition and Work Functioning Among Patients With Schizophrenia in an Urban Area of India

Employment rates and work functioning are poor among patients with schizophrenia and are related to cognitive dysfunction. This study examined the relationship between work functioning and cognition, other clinical and demographic variables, and measures of social functioning among patients with schizophrenia in an urban area of India. This study evaluated cognitive dysfunction and work functioning among 88 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Attention, executive function, and memory were tested with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Work and social functions were evaluated with standardized instruments. Fifty-nine patients (67 percent) were employed, most in a mainstream environment. Moderate to significant work dysfunction was present among 21 patients (24 percent). When multivariate analysis was performed, cognitive deficits did not relate significantly to current employment status or to level of performance at work. Negative symptoms predicted employment status, and poor social functioning predicted poor work performance. The relationship between work and cognitive status in schizophrenia was not as strong as has been previously reported in this population. It was speculated that social factors, such as the compelling need to be employed, a supportive work environment, and the number of years of formal education, were factors underlying the high level of work functioning in this group despite cognitive deficits.

Functional trade-offs in the limb bones of dogs selected for runningversusfighting

The physical demands of rapid and economical running differ from the demands of fighting in ways that may prevent the simultaneous evolution of optimal performance in these two behaviors. Here, we test an hypothesis of functional trade-off in limb bones by measuring mechanical properties of limb bones in two breeds of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris L.) that have undergone intense artificial selection for running (greyhound) and fighting (pit bull) performance. The bones were loaded to fracture in three-point static bending. To correct for the effect of shear, we estimated the shear stress in the cross section and added energy due to shear stress to the tensile energy. The proximal limb bones of the pit bulls differed from those of the greyhounds in having relatively larger second moments of area of mid-diaphyseal cross sections and in having more circular cross-sectional shape. The pit bulls exhibited lower stresses at yield, had lower elastic moduli and failed at much higher levels of work. The stiffness of the tissue of the humerus, radius, femur and tibia was 1.5-2.4-fold greater in the greyhounds than in the pit bulls. These bones from the pit bulls absorbed 1.9-2.6-fold more energy before failure than did those of the greyhounds. These differences between breeds were not observed in the long bones of the feet, metacarpals and metatarsals. Nevertheless, the results of this analysis suggest that selection for high-speed running is associated with the evolution of relatively stiff, brittle limb bones, whereas selection for fighting performance leads to the evolution of limb bones with relatively high resistance to failure.

The work–family challenge and mental health

The work–family literature is dominated by studies of white middle-class workers. In this study, we sought to expand this focus by examining work–family issues from the perspective of Mexicans who have immigrated to the USA within the past five years. Using data from qualitative in-depth interviews (N = 22) and quantitative structured interviews (N = 150), we documented the work–family experiences associated with immigration, and we examined the extent to which these experiences differed by gender as well as their mental health effects. The in-depth interviews clearly indicated that separation from family and community was a common and poignant strain experienced by Mexican immigrants who came to the USA to find work, and that these experiences did not differ between women and men. Quantitative analyses corroborated the qualitative findings by indicating women and men had similar levels of work–family strain. Analyses also indicated that higher levels of work–family strain were associated with more perceived stress, anxiety and depression, and that these associations did not differ between women and men. Finally, modest evidence suggested that the effects of work–family strain on mental health may be lower when the realities experienced by immigrants in finding employment and sending money home matched their expectations. This study adds a new voice to the work–family literature and the context and results make clear the tension between work and family: families frequently benefit from adults’ paid work, but this paid work is not without costs.

Putting the customer second

Purpose – Two studies examined the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction in two service organizations.Design/methodology/approach – Employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction data were gathered separately and aggregated to branch or store level measures.Findings – The data indicated generally positive and statistically significant relationships between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Customers reported greater service satisfaction with branches or stores whose employees indicated higher levels of work and employees' satisfaction.Originality/value – Implications for the delivery of high quality customer service are offered.

The work‐life experiences of office and site‐based employees in the Australian construction industry

A survey was conducted among employees of a large Australian construction firm. Comparisons were made between employees who differed by gender and work location. Male employees in site‐based roles reported significantly higher levels of work to family conflict and emotional exhaustion than male employees who worked in the regional or head office. Site‐based male employees were also less satisfied with their pay than male respondents who worked in the regional of head office. Few significant differences were found between women who worked in different locations. Neither were significant differences between men and women who worked in the same location reported. The results are explained in terms of women's tendency to work in administrative, secretarial or support services roles, which typically demand fewer hours. The paper concludes that the experiences of site‐based construction employees, particularly men, warrant further attention to explore the sources of work‐life imbalance and burnout.

The relationship between process mechanisms and crack paths in friction stir welded 5083‐H321 and 5383‐H321 aluminium alloys

ABSTRACTFriction stir (FS) welding is a relatively new solid‐state welding process that offers high levels of joint performance with minimal preparation and little post‐weld dressing. The high levels of plastic work induced in the weld zone produce a very fine grain size in the stirred region of the weld (e.g. the nugget), while the low heat input limits residual stresses to a low fraction of the proof strength of the weld metal. These effects are generally beneficial to weld dynamic performance. The peculiar thermomechanical history in the FS weld region leads, however, to particular defects with some unusual effects on crack path, whose occurrence depends partly on crack speed, or growth rate. This paper presents observations regarding specific influences of the FS welding process on crack paths and dynamic performance for 5083‐H321 and 5383‐H321 aluminium alloys, and proposes an explanation for the observations in terms of the weld microstructures and thermomechanical history. The insights presented in this paper can be used to inform optimisation of the weld process parameters, through on‐line feedback and control of tool geometry, force footprint, torque and temperature.

Symptom reporting and self-rated health among women in mid-life: The role of work characteristics and family responsibilities

This study investigated how socioeconomic factors and psychosocial conditions are related to self-reported health among 43-year-old women representing the general Swedish population (N = 569). Odds ratios and multiple logistic regression analyses were used for associations and effect modification, adjusted for symptom reporting in adolescence. Poor self-reported health was predicted by low income, financial worries, and job strain, as well as combined exposure to a high level of unpaid household work and job strain (double burden). In conclusion, poor psychosocial conditions related to working life, as well as to the combined impact of paid and unpaid work were revealed to be risk factors for poor self-reported health among middle-aged women. These results highlight the need for improving women's work conditions, as well as designing family policies that promote a better sharing of unpaid household tasks and responsibilities between spouses.

Marital Quality and Spouses' Marriage Work With Close Friends and Each Other

Through in‐home interviews with 142 married couples, we explored how husbands' and wives' marriage work with close friends and one another was linked to their perceptions of marital quality. Results showed that husbands engaged in more marriage work with their wives than with close friends, whereas wives engaged in similar levels of marriage work with their close friends and husbands. For wives, marriage work with their spouses was found to moderate the relationship between marital quality and marriage work with friends. At low levels of marriage work with their spouses, wives' marriage work with friends was negatively related to their reports of marital love and positively related to reports of ineffective arguing. In contrast, at high levels of marriage work with their husbands, no significant relationship was found between wives' marriage work with friends and marital quality for wives. Findings underscore the role of spouses' friendships and suggest that the strength of spouses' ties to one another is linked to the social context they and their close friends create.

The Recuperative-Auto Thermal Reforming and the Recuperative-Reforming Gas Turbine Power Cycles With CO2 Removal—Part I: The Recuperative-Auto Thermal Reforming Cycle

The relatively innovative gas turbine based power cycles R-ATR and R-REF (Recuperative–Auto Thermal Reforming GT cycle and Recuperative–Reforming GT cycle) here proposed are mainly aimed to allow the upstream CO2 removal by the way of natural gas fuel reforming. The power unit is a gas turbine (GT), fueled with reformed and CO2 cleaned syngas produced by adding some basic sections to the simple GT cycle: • auto thermal reforming (ATR) for the R-ATR solution, where the natural gas is reformed into CO, H2,CO2,H2O, and CH4; this endothermic process is completely sustained by the heat released from the reactions between the primary fuel CH4, exhausts and steam. • water gas shift reactor (WGSR), where the reformed fuel is, as far as possible, shifted into CO2 and H2 by the addition of water. • water condensation, in order to remove a great part of the fuel gas humidity content (this water is totally reintegrated into the WGSR). • CO2 removal unit for the CO2 capture from the reformed fuel. Among these main components, several heat recovery units are inserted, together with GT cycle recuperator, compressor intercooler, and steam injection in combustion chamber. The CO2 removal potential is close to 90% with chemical scrubbing using an accurate choice of amine solution blend: the heat demand is completely provided by the power cycle itself. The possibility of applying steam blade cooling by partially using the water released from the dehumidifier downstream the WGSR has been investigated: in these conditions, the R-ATR has shown an efficiency range of 44–46%. High specific work levels have also been observed (around 450–550 kJ/kg). These efficiency values are satisfactory, especially if compared with ATR combined cycles with CO2 removal, more complex due to the steam power section. If regarded as an improvement to the simple GT cycle, R-ATR shows an interesting potential if directly applied to a current GT model; however, partial redesign with respect to the commercially available version is required. Finally, the effects of the reformed fuel gas composition and conditions on the amine CO2 absorption system have been investigated, showing the beneficial effects of increasing pressure (i.e., pressure ratio) on the thermal load per kg of removed CO2.

Development of the Work–Family Interface Scale

Based on a series of qualitative and quantitative studies, a 20-item measure of work–family interface was developed and tested with a group of 188 childcare providers. The instrument, the Work–Family Interface Scale (W-FIS), had an overall alpha of .90 and a mean inter-item correlation (MIC) of .31. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test a five-factor structure with supportive evidence emerging. The factors were named General Overload (4 items), Conflict of Family to Work (4 items), Spillover of Family to Work (4 items), Spillover of Work to Family (3 items), and Conflict of Work to Family (5 items). Alpha coefficients were (in order) .85, .73, .83, .74, and .86; MICs were .59, .43, .55, .48, and .56. Multivariate analyses indicated that when entered into a regression analysis with job demands, job control, and job resources, only the W-FIS and job resources were related to depression symptoms ( R 2=.23). Work–family interface was found to mediate the association between job demands and depression symptoms; and the interaction term between job resources and work–family interface was significant when added to the regression analysis ( p<.0001). Regression lines for low, medium, and high levels on work–family interface indicated that high levels of work–family interference and low job resources are associated with higher levels of depression symptoms.