Job Monotony Research Articles

In the Mood for Food: Monotony, Boredom and Snacking During Work

AbstractAlthough unhealthy snacking may have detrimental consequences for employee health and organizational outcomes, the role of working conditions on snacking still remains poorly understood. Drawing from optimal arousal theory, we propose and test a conceptual model that explains how under-stimulating conditions of job monotony increase unhealthy snacking behaviors during work due to experienced boredom. Given that individual differences play an important role for eating behaviors, we further propose that trait mindfulness may moderate the relationship between daily work-related boredom and unhealthy snacking, as it can decrease impulsive reactions to boredom. Results from diary data across two workweeks (N = 105) confirmed the positive effect of daily job monotony on unhealthy snacking through work-related boredom. Supplementary analyses revealed that these results persisted above and beyond over-stimulating work stressors (daily workload) and alternative mediators (daily negative affect). Surprisingly, the protective nature of trait mindfulness was not confirmed by our results. The implications of our findings are discussed for theory and practice.

Correlation of job monotony and social support on daily hassle: a cross-sectional study based on natural gas field workers

Objective: To explore the correlation of job monotony and social support on daily hassle. Methods: A convenient sampling survey of demographics characteristics, job monotony, social support and daily hassle was conducted on 1 466 natural gas field workers by questionnaire in October; 2018. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation of job monotony and social support on daily hassle. Results: The age of 1 466 subjects was (44.47±8.0) years and the length of service was (20.46±5.77) years. There were 258(17.6%), 173(11.8%), 799(54.5%), 120(8.2%) and 116(7.9%) subjects from production and marketing department, processing plant, branch, maintenance department and emergency center respectively. There were 374(25.5%) and 1 092(74.5%) subjects with high and low level of job monotony, and 398(27.1%), 648(44.2%) and 420(28.6%) subjects with high, middle and low level of social support. There were 464(31.7%) and 1 002(68.3%) subjects with high and low daily tension respectively. Compared with the low level of job monotony, the high level of job monotony had a higher risk of daily hassle(OR=4.83,P<0.001), and compared with the high level of social support, the middle and low level of social support had a higher risk of daily hassle(OR=1.25, 2.24,P<0.05). Conclusion: Job monotony and social support were associated with daily hassle.

The current situation of occupational burnout and its influencing factors among orphan child care workers in Nanjing

Objective: To explore the status of job burnout of nurses for orphans and disabled children in Nanjing and its influencing factors, so as to provide reference for promoting the mental health of nurses for orphans and disabled children. Methods: From February to May, 2017, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 236 nurses working in social welfare institutions for orphans and disabled children in Nanjing, using Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) . It investigated the status of job burnout among nurses of orphans and disabled children, logistic regression analysis was used to explore the effect of occupational stress on the incidence of job burnout of nurses for orphans and disabled children. Results: The results showed that the incidence of job burnout was 67.37% (159/236) , the incidence of job burnout was negatively correlated with behavioral characteristics and family support, the incidence of emotional exhaustion was positively correlated with task control and job monotony (P<0.05) , and negatively correlated with role ambiguity and job satisfaction (P<0.05) . The incidence of depersonalization was negatively correlated with job monotony and peer support (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The nurses of orphans and disabled children have serious job burnout. Occupational stress factors, personality characteristics and relieving factors have influence on the incidence of job burnout.

Benefits and limitations of project-to-project job rotation in software organizations: A synthesis of evidence

ContextJob rotation has been proposed as a managerial practice to be applied in the organizational environment to reduce job monotony, boredom, and exhaustion resulting from job simplification, specialization, and repetition. The scientific literature distinguishes between job-to-job and project-to-project rotations. Despite the potential benefits and its actual use on behalf of software companies, we do not have an accumulated body of scientific knowledge about benefits and limitations of job rotation in software engineering practice. In particular, we have no concrete empirical evidence about the use of project-to-project rotations in practice. GoalWe aim to identify and discuss evidence about project-to-project (P2P) job rotation, in order to understand the potential benefits and limitations of this practice in software organizations. MethodWe deployed a mix-method research strategy to collect and analyze empirical evidence from the scientific literature, performing a systematic literature review, on one hand and from industrial practice, performing qualitative case studies on the other. We synthesized the evidence using techniques from meta-ethnography. ResultsWe found eight benefits, nine limitations, and two factors classified as both benefits and limitations of P2P rotations in software engineering. Different research methods yielded confirmatory and complementary evidence, emphasizing the importance of conducting mix-method research. We found no contradictory evidence and five factors were identified in more than one study using different research methods, contributing to the strength of the evidence. ConclusionWe synthesized evidence from multiple sources and used different research methods concerning the benefits and limitations of P2P rotation in software engineering practice. Our findings show that rotation tends to benefit important job outcomes, such as motivation, and to decrease job monotony. The main limitations were associated with the potential increase in intra-group social conflicts, individual cognitive effort, and workload, and a temporary decrease in productivity.

Boredom at Work and Job Monotony: An Exploratory Case Study within the Catering Sector

This article presents an exploratory study that examines workplace boredom in monotonous catering‐sector jobs. It investigates whether boredom is associated with monotonous tasks and explores strategies for minimizing it. Data were collected from multiple sources that included observation, company documentation, and interviews with management and unskilled staff engaged in simple, repetitive work in the catering department of a British university. The findings indicate that there is no linkage between boredom and monotonous tasks, and that job rotation and management support are the two key organizational mechanisms used to support the work of catering personnel. The reasons for the absence of boredom were found to be related to the workers’ job requirements, their interest in doing their jobs, the organization's strategies for alleviating workplace boredom, and the time lag of the tasks. The implications for human resource development (HRD) are discussed.

THE EFFECTS OF JOB DEMANDS ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IN THE GROUP OF POLICE OFFICERS. TESTING THE MEDIATING ROLE OF JOB BURNOUT

IntroductionThe dynamic changes that occur in the world of work have posed new challenges for occupational health research (Kompier, 2006). Several researchers have argued that the popular models of job stress (e.g., Job Demands-Control model or Effort-Reward Imbalance model) may have limitations in capturing the new, complex, and often distinctive determinants of job stress and occupational well-being (Hellgren, Sverke, & Naswall, 2008; Ballducci, Schaufeli, & Fraccaroli, 2011). For that reason, more context-specific models of job stress have recently been developed. One of them is the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001). This model assumes that each work environment has its own set of job characteristics that determine employees' health and well-being. Job characteristics can be divided into job demands and job resources. According to the JD-R model job demands are connected with poor health, whereas job resources are related to positive work attitudes. In addition to researching direct relationships between job demands and health problems, the JD-R model tries to identify potential mediators which indirectly affect the relationship. One of the most frequently studied mediators in the context of the JD-R model is job burnout.Several studies done on various occupational groups have confirmed that high job demands result in job burnout and this in turn leads to health problems (the so-called energetic process) (e.g., Hakanen, Bakker, & Schaufeli, 2006; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004). However, most of these studies were conducted in Western (not Eastern) parts of Europe (e.g., Finland, Holland) and have not included police officers. Based on previous investigations, it can be assumed that this group is particularly exposed to high job demands and therefore is also at a great risk of suffering from physical and mental health problems related to high job demands (Colwell, 2009). Police officers are also particularly susceptible to job burnout (Kop, Euwema, & Schaufeli, 1999). Mental health problems among police officers have been observed in numerous studies conducted in various countries, including the USA (Pendleton, Stotland, Spiers, & Kirsch, 1989), Germany (Schmidtke, Fricke, & Lester, 1999), the United Kingdom (Collwell, 2009), Turkey (Gul & Delice, 2011), and also Poland (Dudek, Waszkowska, & Hanke, 1999).Moreover, in previous studies on JD-R mainly mental, not physical aspects of health were taken into consideration. The present research aims to verify the JD-R model and attempts to seek further insights into the processes that lead to poor health through job burnout. It tests how job burnout mediates the negative impact of job demands on mental health (as measured by rates of depression) and physical health (as measured by self-reported physical health complaints) in a group of Polish police officers.The JD-R Model as Theoretical Framework of ResearchThe JD-R model is an attempt to develop earlier occupational stress concepts, including the Job Demands-Control model (JD-C, Karasek & Theorell, 1990), the Job Demands-Control-Support model (DCS, Johnson & Hall, 1988), the Effort-Reward Imbalance model (ERI, Siegrist, Starke, Chandola, Godin, Marmot, Niedhammer, & Peter, 2004) and the Conservation of Resources theory (COR, Hobfoll, 1989). The JD-R model assumes that each occupation involves specific job demands which, in conditions of poor job resources, may lead to poor health (Bakker et al., 2003). Job demands refer to those physical, social or organizational job aspects that require sustained physical and/or psychological effort and are associated with certain physiological and/or psychological costs (Demerouti et al., 2001, p. 501). They include role stress, bad working conditions, job monotony, a demanding workload, interpersonal conflicts and organizational constraints. Job resources are related to physical, social and organizational aspects of the job that: may be functional in achieving work-related goals; reduce job demands and the associated physiological and psychological costs, and stimulate personal growth and development (Demerouti et al. …

Balancing U-shaped assembly lines with resource dependent task times: A Simulated Annealing approach

The advent of Just-in-Time (JIT) and Group Technology philosophies has popularized U-shaped assembly lines, which help overcome many of the disadvantages, like line inflexibility, job monotony, large inventories, etc., typically associated with straight assembly lines. Although U-shaped layout has demonstrated its supremacy over the traditional straight layout, the problem of U-shaped assembly line balancing (ULB) is much more complex. The extant literature on ULB assumes that each assembly task requires a fixed (or no) equipment and a fixed number of workers. However, it is often desirable to reduce certain task times by assigning more workers or alternative equipments at a given workstation. The problem in such cases is to assign not only the task but also resource alternatives (number of workers and equipment type) to workstations. Research on such resource dependent U-shaped assembly line balancing (RDULB) is scarce. We address the problem of RDULB and propose a Simulated Annealing (SA) based metaheuristic, which gives optimal solution for most of the small-to-medium problem instances. For very large problems, while SA generates a good feasible solution within half an hour to 1.5h, Cplex is unable to find a single feasible solution even after 10 times the CPU time required by SA.

Exploring the communication barriers in private commercial banks of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, lots of private commercial banks are contributing for economic growth. The performance of the banks depends on a well-structured communication system. So by maintaining an effective communication system, the banks can gain competitive advantage. Thus the study aims to investigate the communication barriers that should be removed for effective communication in the private commercial banks of Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire survey based on 5-point Likert-scale was conducted on 165 full-time employees of private commercial banks. The sample includes 15 private commercial banks. The Principal Component Analysis reveals three types of communication barriers; personal barriers, job barriers, and organizational barriers. Among these barriers, personal barriers are the most significant barriers according to the respondents of the study. Personal barriers include lack of English knowledge, local tone, opposite sex and hot temper. The second most important barriers are job barriers that include technical words, personal life and job monotony. The third most important barriers are organizational barriers which include defective technology and internal politics.

A multi-criteria genetic algorithm for the generation of job rotation schedules

Job rotation is a method of work organization by which working conditions can be improved. A change of activity reduces job monotony, fatigue, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and cumulative trauma disorders. In order to develop a rotation plan that achieves the maximum benefit obtainable from this technique, the multiple factors that affect it must be considered simultaneously. This paper proposes a genetic algorithm that allows the planner to achieve job rotation schedules that aim to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, obtaining maximum diversification of the jobs carried out during working hours, and which take into account both permanent and temporary disabilities of the workers as well as their preferences. The fundamental contribution of the method lies in its focus on multi-criteria analysis and its ability to include new factors in the evaluation of solutions without the need to substantially modify the algorithm. This algorithm is then implemented by a computer program, which thus becomes a flexible tool to aid the planner. Relevance to industry The results of this study suggest that the algorithm presented could be an efficient tool in the development of a rotation program, obtaining practical results within the scope of realistic possibilities of the plant.

Investigation on job stress of pediatricians and nurses working in pediatric department

To investigate the occupational stressors and modifiers of pediatricians and nurses in order to find the measurements for control of the job stress. 427 pediatricians and nurses working in five hospitals of a city served as subjects. Of them, the staff in section of pharmacy and toll offices in each hospital mentioned above served as control group. The General Job Stress Questionnaire was used to investigate the job stress by self-assessment. The scores of job demand, job risk, drug using, daily job stress, positive feelings, patient A behavior, physical environment and feeling balance in pediatricians and nurses were higher than those of control group, but the scores of job-person conflict, environmental control, technology utility, mental health, responsibility on things were lower than those of control group (P<0.05). The points of job future, job locus of control, self-esteem, job satisfaction, job load variance, depression in nurses were higher than those of pediatricians, and non-work activities, job risk and daily life stress were lower than those of doctors (P<0.05). The main affecting factors on job strain of pediatric staff included job monotony, higher job demand, more non-work job, lower job control, more job risk, job future ambiguous, poorer social support, lower job locus control and lower self-esteem. The stress degree of pediatric staff is higher than that of controls. The pediatricians have more job stress than that of nurses. The main stressors of pediatric staff are job monotony, higher job demand, more non-worker activity, lower job control, higher job risk and ambiguous job future. The main modifiers are good social support, external job locus of control and higher self-esteem.

Relationship between depression symptoms and stress in occupational populations

To explore the relationship between the depression symptoms and occupational stress in occupational populations. Depression symptoms were measured by using the center for epidemiological survey-depression scale. The occupational stress instrument were employed to investigate the stressors, personalities, social support, and coping strategies as well as the subject's age, length of service, sex, educational level and marriage status. Chi(2) test was used for analyzing the difference of depression. The multiple covariance analysis was used for testing the difference of stressors, personalities, social support, and coping strategies among the groups with different scores of depression. The variables obtained in the optional prediction equation were identified by multiple stepwise regression analysis. The incidence rate of definite depression symptoms was 40.2%. The total average score was 21.74 +/- 8.99. Henan province had the highest incidence rate of depression symptoms, 43.8%, Hebei 39.4%, and Beijing the lowest, 23.4%. The male workers had the higher incidence rate of depression symptoms, 43. 0% than female, 35.4% (P < 0.01). The older group had the lower incidence rates of depression symptoms, compared with the younger group (P < 0.01). The workers divorced or with the bereft spouse had the higher incidence rate of depression symptoms than the workers married and unmarried (P < 0.05). The workers with middle school education had the higher incidence rates of depression symptoms than those with master degree. Incidence rates in the most occupational groups were more than 30%. The significant difference was shown between the different jobs (P < 0.01). The difference of the adjusted means among three groups of different depression score were analyzed. The results showed the workers with definite depression symptoms had the higher scores than the other two groups in physical factors, role ambiguity, role conflict, job monotony, mental load, responsibility for persons, job future ambiguity, job hazards, type A behavior and work locus of control, and social support (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The former had the lower scores than the other two groups in the scores of promotion, participation, autonomy, task identity, feedback, friendship opportunity, speed control, training adequacy, challenge, self-esteem, organizational commitment, and coping strategies. Fifteen variables entered the predictive equation of depression score explaining 33.1% of variance. There are serious mental health problems in the occupational population in our country. Stressors and personalities affect the mental health.

Occasional smoking in a Minnesota working population.

This study examined the prevalence of occasional smoking in a population of working adults, compared the characteristics of occasional and daily smokers, and prospectively examined the long-term smoking patterns of occasional smokers. At 32 Minnesota work sites, 5681 randomly selected workers were surveyed at baseline; 5248 of these were surveyed again 2 years later. A cross-sectional sample of 5817 workers was also surveyed at follow-up. Occasional smokers constituted 18.3% of all smokers in the baseline sample and 21.5% of all smokers in the cross-sectional sample surveyed 2 years later. Baseline occasional smokers were significantly more likely than daily smokers to have quit at follow-up. Job monotony or repetitiveness was related to an increase to daily smoking at follow-up among baseline occasional smokers, and a change to a more restrictive workplace smoking policy was associated with quitting. The results confirm that a substantial proportion of smokers are low-rate users and suggest that the proportion may be rising. Further research on this group is warranted.

Absenteeism as a symptom of occupational ill-health in hospitals and its repercussion on quality assurance.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the importance of absenteeism due to illness in the hospital organization. A measurement of absenteeism due to illness among hospital professionals of the National Health System in the Alicante province (Spain) during the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 was carried out, as well as its repercussion on quality assurance in health care. The absenteeism index (frequency) was 5.39, 6.38 and 6.79 in 1988, 1989 and 1990, respectively. The extent of absenteeism (duration) in 1988 was 19.7 days per worker, and was 24.23 in 1989 and 26.45 in 1990. Hospitals with more than 400 beds presented during these periods poor absenteeism self-control. Maintenance personnel, nurses, administrative personnel and graduates had, in this order, the highest scores of days lost. We show that the dimension of Intrinsic Job Satisfaction, Extrinsic Job Satisfaction and Job Monotony are interrelated with absenteeism.

Problems of monotony diagnostics

The article reviews problems of monotony diagnostics. Three aspects of the diagnostics are singled out: (1) estimation of the state of monotony based on the indices of the efficiency of performance and on the parameters of physiological and psychical functions (the psychological diagnostics of monotony is divided into subjective and objective psychometry); (2) estimation of the job and performance monotony based on the technological indices of work operations and on the decrement of performance efficiency or optimal functional states; (3) estimation of the satisfaction in monotonous work, of the attitude towards it and of the monotonophilic – monotonophobic personality tendencies. The results of monotony investigation conducted in the Laboratory of Special Psychology of Vilnius University are presented.