Job Conditions Research Articles

Work made us what we are: Complexity of work, self-directedness of orientation, and intellectual flexibility of older US and Japanese men

Following Kohn and Schooler’s theoretical and analytical frameworks, this study establishes that the reciprocal relationships between self-directed occupational conditions and both self-directed orientation and intellectual functioning are the same for older US and Japanese men. Using longitudinal data from representative samples of US men employed in 1964 and 1994 and Japanese men employed in 1979 and 2006, we conducted multi-group structural equation modeling. In both countries, self-directed complex work increased both self-directed orientation and intellectual functioning. Reciprocally, these two types of psychological functioning had positive effects on self-directed occupational conditions. These findings indicate that although there exist cultural and structural differences in occupational settings, in stable societies, job conditions can continue to affect and reflect central aspects of psychological functioning in relatively late life stages.

FAKTOR FAKTOR PENENTU KEPUASAN KERJA TENAGA KERJA BALI YANG BEKERJA DI KAPAL PESIAR (STUDI KASUS DI CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE)

Job satisfaction is the attitude and feeling of someone towards his job. When an employee feels job satisfaction, he will be well motivated and productive. The Balinese workforces who work on board the cruise ships need a job satisfaction guarantee. This study aims at; (1) identifying factors that determine job satisfaction of Balinese workforces who work on board the cruise ships, (2) identifying the difference of job satisfaction between those who earns from tipping system and non-tipping system, and between those who have been marriage and single marital status. The factors that were investigated were job condition factor that consists of six variables; compensation factor that consists of six variables; supervision factor that consists of four variables; opportunity for achievement, recognitions, responsibility and challenging’s job factors that consists of three variables.The study was conducted at PT Cemerlang Tunggal Inti Karsa (CTI) Bali branch that is located on Tukad Jinah Street 2X Renon Denpasar Bali. The research made use non-probability sampling technique and used 230 respondents that were purposivelyselected. Questionnaires were used to collect the data, and then it was analyzed by using software tool analysis, SPSS ver. 13.Validity and reliability of instrument analysis revealed that the KMO value for all variables were above 0.05 with significance value 0.000. These values can be interpreted that the instrument used were valid and reliable. The findings of the study were; firstly the factors that determine the job satisfaction of Balinese workforces who worked on board the cruise ship were the opportunity for achievement factor with variance value 79.53; recognition factor with variance value 79.13; challenging’s job factor with variance value 74.57; supervision factor with variance value 70.32; responsibility factor with variance value 67.32, compensation factor with variance value 64.73; and job condition factor with variance value 61.74. Secondly, there were significant differences between those who earns from tipping system and non-tipping system, and there were not significant differences between those who have been marriage and single marital status.

Prospects for higher library education within the context of implementing professional standards in library and information activities

Prospects for higher library education are discussed within the context of the professional standard «Specialist in library information activities» (2014) as a regulatory document to lay down requirement to job content and conditions, qualification and competences, actual functions (required procedures, skills, and knowledge) of various library professionals are discussed. The dependence between the education content and library practical demands and the need to overcome their disparity are revealed. The expanding range of professions for libraries is characterized. The author concludes that the professional standard is an innovative and relevant document needed to reform the higher education in librarianship and the professional training curricula. Its implementation is to improve acmeological parameters of library education, to make universities’ education program relevant to professional practice. The author emphasizes that universities will have to work hard to develop new core professional programs, to integrated them with the requirements of the professional practice (including through the more efficient interaction with employers). To consolidate professional attitude toward the challenging issues of the forthcoming reform and to implement networked education technologies for deep professional training, coordination of regional higher schools activities is needed.

Marketers’ human capital resources and job performance

PurposePositing that human capital resources of marketers comprise both psychological capital (PsyCap) and marketing capital (MarCap), and that PsyCap in combination with MarCap will have a synergistic effect on marketers’ job performance, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the configurational roles of PsyCap and MarCap in marketers’ job performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing a survey data set collected from 472 marketers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the study tested the net effects of PsyCap and MarCap on job performance using structural equation modeling (SEM). Then, the study investigated the configurational roles of PsyCap and MarCap in job performance employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsSEM results show that two components of PsyCap (efficacy and optimism) and one component of MarCap (organizational MarCap) have positive effects on job performance. fsQCA findings reveal that, except hope, combinations of PsyCap and MarCap components form several sufficient conditions for job performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of this study is on marketers, that is, at the individual level. Future research should examine both PsyCap and MarCap at a higher level, such as the team, unit, or firm level.Practical implicationsThe study’s findings suggest that firms should pay attention not only to the net effect but also to the configuration of PsyCap and MarCap when designing and implementing their human resource strategies and policies.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on human capital resources by confirming the configurational roles of PsyCap and MarCap in marketers’ job performance.

Professional identity and engagement among newly qualified teachers in times of uncertainty

ABSTRACTSocial, political and economic conditions shape a context of permanent flux where early childhood education teachers have to join the labour market and build their professional identity while facing numerous challenges. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects that a changing world and precarious job conditions can have on newly qualified teachers’ sense of engagement with the children, the school and the profession in general as part of their professional identity. We carried out this investigation in two phases. First, we composed interim texts from the interviews with the teachers, teachers’ own reflective writing and school visits. Then, we analysed these texts in order to identify each teacher’s reflection on engagement during their early teaching experiences, composing a single text for each teacher. The goal is to discern the impact that contemporary job conditions in Spain, which usually entail precarious contracts, continuing education, new demanding tasks, etc., may have on teachers’ sense of engagement.

Eco-economic excavator configuration method

Abstract Excavating processes performed frequently in building, civil and infrastructure projects are critical and costly. To define a cost-effective excavator configuration, an earthwork planner depends mostly on experience and intuition. This intuitive reasoning is often error-prone, and highly experience based. This paper presents a computational method called the Eco-Economic Excavator Configuration (E3C), which selects the most favorable configuration of a heavy duty excavator according to the earthwork package and its job conditions. E3C obtains the input data from external databases, derives the formulae involved in computing the process performance (e.g., production rate, process completion time, and profit), and instructs the earthwork manager in the best-fit excavator configuration (e.g., maximum digging depth, engine size in HP, and bucket size) for profitable operation by considering the implicit constraints and conditions exhaustively. The method identifies the best-fit PDFs of the process completion time and that of the total profit, given an excavator configuration. A test case, which was performed at a building basement excavating project, confirmed the usability and validity of the method.

Quality Management Mechanism, Job Satisfaction and Performance Audit

This paper extends the literature evaluating the relation between the quality management mechanism implementation of Taiwanese government audit and the job satisfaction of government auditors for the government auditors’ identification of the influential factors to improve performance audit. The questionnaire survey was employed in this study. A total of 613 questionnaires were sent and 535 valid responses were collected. The return rate is 87.28%. The empirical results demonstrate that most government auditors fulfill the governmental policies and are satisfied with the current job condition after the senior executives strive to establish the auditing quality management mechanism. The influential factors of performance audit enhancement for government auditors appear significance.

“It’s the Lack of Structure that’s Causing the Problem”: Managerial Competence, the Treatment of Workers, and Job Stress in Precarious Firms

In this study, we use Hodson’s concept of Management Citizenship Behavior (MCB) and a case study research design of 16 small Canadian information technology (IT) firms to examine the interrelationship between insecure work environments, management behavior, and job stress within the context of the organizations. Within the study firms, the presence of MCB in the form of competent and respectful management was associated with a positive work environment and less job stress. The relationship between insecurity and stressful work environments was less straightforward and could only be understood in combination with MCB. Findings suggest that management behavior may moderate the relationship between precarious employment and stress, particularly within the context of small firms in a sector that is an important exemplar of work in the new economy. Competent and respectful management practices may alleviate the stress associated with job insecurity within precarious firms, and in contrast, their absence may create a pervasive culture of stress even within stable firms. Results indicate the importance of studying the organizational context established by the actions of owners and managers and suggest that good management can create healthier work environments even within the context of otherwise harmful job conditions.

Effect of Participation in Performance Pay Systems and Employees’ Satisfaction with Job Conditions

<p>The aim of this research is to evaluate the association between participation in performance pay systems and employees’ satisfaction with job conditions. A survey method was utilized to collect data from subordinates who serve at disaster management agencies in West Malaysia. The findings of SmartPLS path model analysis display four important outcomes: first, the relationship between participation in pay plans and satisfaction with intrinsic job conditions was not significant. Second, relationship between participation in pay operations and satisfaction with intrinsic job conditions was not significant. Third, the relationship between participation in pay plans and satisfaction with extrinsic job conditions was significance. Finally, the relationship between participation in pay operations and satisfaction with extrinsic job conditions was significance. This finding demonstrates that participation in pay plans and participation in pay operations do not act as important predictors of employees’ satisfaction with intrinsic job conditions. Conversely, participation in pay plans and participation in pay operations do act as important predictors of employees’ satisfaction with extrinsic job conditions. Further, this research delivers discussion, implications and conclusion.</p>

Why doctors consider leaving UK medicine: qualitative analysis of comments from questionnaire surveys three years after graduation.

Objective To report the reasons why doctors are considering leaving medicine or the UK. Design Questionnaire survey. Setting UK. Participants Questionnaires were sent three years after graduation to all UK medical graduates of 2008 and 2012. Main outcome measures Comments from doctors about their main reasons for considering leaving medicine or the UK (or both). Results The response rate was 46.2% (5291/11,461). Among the 60% of respondents who were not definitely intent on remaining in UK medicine, 50% were considering working in medicine outside the UK and 10% were considering leaving medicine. Among those considering working in medicine outside the UK, the most commonly cited reasons were to gain wider experience, that things would be 'better' elsewhere and a negative view of the National Health Service and its culture, state and politics. Other reasons included better training or job opportunities, better pay and conditions, family reasons and higher expectations. Three years after graduation, doctors surveyed in 2015 were significantly more likely than doctors surveyed in 2011 to cite factors related to the National Health Service, to pay and conditions, to their expectations and to effects on work-life balance and patient care. Among those considering leaving medicine, the dominant reason for leaving medicine was a negative view of the National Health Service (mentioned by half of those in this group who commented). Three years after graduation, doctors surveyed in 2015 were more likely than doctors surveyed in 2011 to cite this reason, as well as excessive hours and workload, and financial reasons. Conclusions An increasingly negative view is held by many doctors of many aspects of the experience of being a junior doctor in the National Health Service, and the difficulty of delivering high-quality patient care within what many see as an under-funded system. Policy changes designed to encourage more doctors to remain should be motivated by a desire to address these concerns by introducing real improvements to resources, staffing and working conditions.

The implications of the school’s cultural attributes in the relationships between participative leadership and teacher job satisfaction and burnout

PurposeAs a result of continuous reforms, increased emphasis has been placed on participative leadership as a means to improving school and teacher outcomes. However, along with the benefits of participative leadership comes the potential for strain and burnout, which stem from work intensification. Applying the implicit leadership theory and the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose that differences in school’s cultural attributes will influence the emergence of participative leaders and their influence on teachers’ outcomes of job satisfaction and burnout.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by survey from a sample of 367 teachers in Israel.FindingsFirst, the results of general linear model (GLM) analysis indicated significant differences in the teachers’ perceptions of participative leadership between schools characterized by different cultural attributes. Second, the results of GLM indicated significant differences in the effects of participative leadership on teacher burnout across schools characterized by different cultural attributes.Originality/valueThis study has implications for policies involving the design and implementation of leadership tools for school management. Although research has emphasized the relationship between stressful job conditions associated with shared decision making and teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction, the volume of comparative work in the educational field shedding light on the impact of school’s cultural attributes on this question is limited. This study may assist principals in making their schools both more effective and more responsive to teacher expectations.

Burnout chez les résidents en médecine tunisiens : à propos de 149 cas

BackgroundBurnout is a professional psychological chronic stress-induced syndrome defined by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. This syndrome concerns all professions but especially healthcare staff. Numerous studies have attempted to document the impact of work activities on the doctor's mental health. According to the literature, junior doctors are more vulnerable to develop this syndrome. AimsAre to determine the prevalence of severe burnout among residents of different specialties: anesthesiology, general surgery, emergency medicine, psychiatry, basic sciences. The secondary end points are to analyze risk factors, causes and consequences associated with burnout. MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted among medical residents working in hospitals located in the governorates of Tunis. Three instruments were used: an anonymous self-administered questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to assess burnout, and Abstract Beck Depression Inventory to evaluate the intensity of depression. Severe burnout was defined as a severely high level of both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization associated with a severely low level of personal accomplishment. ResultsA total of 149 participants (response rate=76.8%) participated in the survey. Among participants, 17.14% (n=26) had a severe burnout. The emergency medicine residents had the highest rate of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and severe depression. Overall, resident respondents, 31% (n=46), had moderate to severe depression. Among stress factors, those significantly correlated to burnout were: lack of hobbies (P<0.001), bad job conditions (P=0.031), poor conditions of the workplace (P=0.046), relationship problems in workplace (P=0.01), work-family conflicts (P<0.001). The consequences of occupational stress associated with burnout were: Antecedents of specialty change (P=0.017) and desire for a specialty change (P<0.001). A significant correlation between depression and severe burnout was not found. ConclusionMedical residents in all specialties are at risk of burnout. Nevertheless, this study revealed that some specialties are more exhausting, which is consistent with the results reported in the literature. Moreover, it is shown that several stress factors as well as many consequences are related to severe burnout, which is in agreement with numerous studies. However, results between different studies are disparate.

Preferences for work in primary care among medical students in Minas Gerais State, Brazil: evidence from a discrete choice experiment

This article presents the results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in 2012 with 277 final-year medical students from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The experiment tested students' preferences concerning future work as physicians in primary health care, based on hypothetical job scenarios aimed at measuring the likelihood of placement in areas with a shortage of doctors. Application of DCE involved (i) a qualitative stage to define the attributes and their respective levels to comprise the job scenarios, (ii) construction and application of the instrument, and (iii) analysis with application of multinomial logit with conditional probability to estimate the weight of attributes and to construct scenarios for choice probability. The results indicate that the job attribute that most impacted students' choice was location, followed by job conditions, pay, access to medical residency, type of employment relationship, and workload. Students from private medical schools, with higher family income, and females were generally more likely to resist job assignments in unsafe urban areas and remote areas of the countryside. The job scenarios that proved most plausible in terms of public intervention were those that combined middle-level wages, good working conditions, and 10 to 20 bonus points on medical residency exams.

Job Perceptions of Public Health Workforce in Rural Area of Yavatmal District, Maharashtra, India

Introduction: Being a primary source for health care delivery, public health personnel shall be well trained and motivated as their performance has a strong impact on overall health system performance. There is large gap in knowledge about determinants of motivation in Indian set-up; so the present study was undertaken to understand the perceptions of health workforce regarding their job conditions and their expectations. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted in District Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India. Total participants were 940 which included 96 medical officers (MOs) and 844 allied health personnels (AHPs). Data collection was completed using structured self-administered questionnaire. Results: Highest number of MOs mentioned ‘good working relationship’ (93 per cent) while among AHPs highest participant consider ‘training opportunity’ (88 per cent) as ‘more important attribute’. Among MOs difference between expected and availability of study attributes was statistically significant for 14 attributes but none in favour of availability. In AHP group, significantly higher proportion of respondents felt that good working relationships, good income, superior recognizing good work were considered as more important attributes by fewer respondents but significantly greater proportion of respondents in AHP group felt that these attributes were present in the job. Discussion and conclusions: Findings suggested that for MOs motivating factors in job was related to the independence in working and recognition from superiors and patients while AHPs’ main motivational force seemed to be recognition and clarity of work. Training opportunity and congenial environment at workplace were common desirable attributes. There were few attributes which majority of health workforce considered as ‘mostly available attribute’ in their present job which leaves much scope for improvement in job conditions for health workforce in rural area.

An Empirical Examination of Work Attitudes and Service Quality of Standard and Seasonal Workers

Organizations in many countries are increasingly relying on the use of nonstandard workers, defined as employees who don’t hold a standard permanent full-time position but work either reduced hours (e.g., part-time) or for a fixed duration (e.g., seasonal work). Organizations gain flexibility and cost savings from their use while some individuals prefer nonstandard work as a means of gaining more control over their career in today’s boundaryless work environment. Using social exchange theory and the theory of social stigma as our theoretical foundation, results from a survey of 206 clerical and professional workers indicated that contrary to expectations, standard and nonstandard workers did not significantly differ in terms of perceptions of job conditions, perceived organizational support (POS), or job engagement. As predicted, standard workers reported significantly higher levels of service quality performance than nonstandard workers. Also as predicted, job engagement mediated the relationship between...

Rehabilitation access and effectiveness for persons with back pain: the protocol of a cohort study (REHAB-BP, DRKS00011554)

BackgroundBack pain is one of the most common chronic diseases in Germany and has a major impact on work ability and social participation. The German Pension Insurance (GPI) is the main provider of medical rehabilitation to improve work ability and prevent disability pensions in Germany. However, over half of the persons granted a disability pension have never used a medical rehabilitation service. Furthermore, evidence on the effects of medical rehabilitation in Germany is inconclusive. Consequently, this study has two aims: first, to determine barriers to using rehabilitation services, and second, to examine the effectiveness of medical rehabilitation in German residents with chronic back pain.MethodsIn 2017 a postal questionnaire will be sent to 45,000 persons aged 45 to 59 years whose pension insurance contributions are managed by the GPI North or the GPI Central Germany. In 2019 respondents who report back pain in the first survey (n = 5760 expected) will be sent a second questionnaire. Individuals will be eligible for the first survey if they are employed, have neither used nor applied for a rehabilitation programme during the last 4 years and neither received nor applied for a disability pension. The sample will be drawn randomly from the registers of the GPI North (n = 22,500) and the GPI Central Germany (n = 22,500) and stratified by sex and duration of sickness absence benefits. Barriers to rehabilitation services will be related to socio-demographic and social characteristics, pain and attitudes to pain, health and health behaviour, healthcare utilisation, experiences and cognitions about rehabilitation services and job conditions. Propensity score matched analyses will be used to examine the effectiveness of rehabilitation services. Data on use of medical rehabilitation will be extracted from administrative records. The primary outcome is pain disability. Secondary outcomes are pain intensity and days of disability, pain self-efficacy, fear avoidance beliefs, self-rated health, depression, healthcare utilisation, self-rated work ability and subjective prognosis of employability, sickness absence benefits, and disability pensions.DiscussionThis study identifies barriers to use of rehabilitation services and determines the effectiveness of medical rehabilitation for patients with chronic back pain.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00011554, January 26, 2017).

The Motherhood Wage Penalty by Work Conditions: How Do Occupational Characteristics Hinder or Empower Mothers?

Mothers are shown to receive lower wages than childless women across industrial countries. Although research on mothers’ wage disadvantage has noted that the extent of this disadvantage is not universal among mothers, it has paid relatively little attention to how the structural characteristics of jobs moderate the price women pay for motherhood. Using data from 16 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that began in 1997, we examine how the pay gap between mothers and non-mothers varies by occupational characteristics. Deriving hypotheses from three prominent explanations for the motherhood wage penalty—stressing work-family conflict and job performance, compensating differentials, and employer discrimination, respectively—we test whether this penalty changes with an occupation’s exposure to hazardous conditions, schedule regularity, required on-the-job training, competitiveness, level of autonomy, and emphasis on teamwork. Results from fixed-effects models show that the wage reduction for each child is less in occupations with greater autonomy and lower teamwork requirements. Moreover, mothers encounter a smaller penalty when their occupations impose less competitive pressure. On the whole, these findings are consistent with the model focusing on job strain and work-family conflict, adding evidence to the importance of improving job conditions to alleviate work-family conflict.

The Rate of Emotional Divorce and Predictive Factors in Nursing Staff in North of Iran

Objectives: One stage of divorce is emotional divorce, in which, couples live separately under the same roof. This situation seems to happen for most nurses, due to the job conditions, working long hours, stressful job and low salary, as well as the impact of workplace stress on marital relations. This article was intended to assess the rate of emotional divorce among nurses who worked in hospitals of Rasht, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, for which 382 nurses from hospitals of Rasht were selected by the way of quota and random sampling. The desired survey consisted of a 2-part questionnaire: demographic information, and Gottmann’s emotional divorce scale. Results were analyzed using SPSS software (version 19.0), and t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression were used. P < 0.05 and CI = 95% were considered significant. Results: The results showed that the participation rates for women and men were 93.5% and 6.5%, respectively. Moreover, the rate of emotional divorce among nurses who participated in this study was 7.6%. The main predictive variables for emotional divorce were living with spouse’s family, having relationship with family members, and attempt to divorce. Conclusions: Although the results suggested low rate of emotional divorce among nurses who lived in Rasht, it is recommended that appropriate ways be used for improving a life of greatness and emotional support of couples, and also improving the nurses’ quality services for calmness in married life, to decrease this low percentage with regard to the importance of this subject. Keywords: Divorce, Emotional divorce, Iran, Nurses

Mental health and productivity at work: Does what you do matter?

Much of the economic cost of mental illness stems from workers’ reduced productivity. Using nationally representative panel data we analyze the links between mental health and two alternative workplace productivity measures – absenteeism and presenteeism (i.e., lower productivity while attending work) – explicitly allowing these relationships to be moderated by the nature of the job itself. We find that absence rates are approximately five percent higher among workers who report being in poor mental health. Moreover, job conditions are related to both presenteeism and absenteeism even after accounting for workers’ self-reported mental health status. Job conditions are relatively more important in understanding diminished productivity at work if workers are in good rather than poor mental health. The effects of job complexity and stress on absenteeism do not depend on workers’ mental health, while job security and control moderate the effect of mental illness on absence days.

A Comparative Study of Ranchi Labourer Life

Labour is a social class of group comprises of those who do manual labour or work for wages. A thousand of labours every day migrate in Ranchi city and they work whole day at daily wages and back to home in evening. Here we see, there are many people who were well educated (6% male labour) like graduate or post graduate and they were working as a labour only because of lack of job and poor economical conditions. At present scenario money is important for every one’s life so everyone works for money. Labors worked mostly in unorganized sectors at daily wages and their rule is “no work no wages”. Method: A total sample of 87 normal populations (50 male and 37 female labours) were selected using purposive and consecutive based sampling method from the area of Morabadi Ground (Labour Market), Ranchi. Socio demographic data sheet and life satisfaction scale were used to find out significant difference in socio-demography and life satisfaction between male and female. Result- In the socio demographic profile, a significant group differences were found in age, education and Religion in both groups. Again, significant group difference was found in the total score of Life Satisfaction between both sex (male and female labourers) indicating male labourers had better life satisfaction in comparison to the female labourers. Conclusion: Some results showed that labourers (Male &amp; Female) had poor life satisfaction and they are surviving with many problems like – poor education, poor health and dissatisfaction of job. Current finding shows that the male labourers have better life satisfaction in comparison to female labourers.