Line Managers Research Articles

When line meets agile in public service organizations: Exploring the role of felt accountability amongst line managers

Despite citizen calls for agile government, public service organizations often default to hierarchy and adopt dual structure organization designs combining agile and non-agile units. However, ensuring effective collaboration and avoiding accountability challenges at the interface of line and agile units remains a vexing issue. Although accountability is implicitly assumed in agile organizing, it is not readily manifested or experienced. Through this interpretive case study of a public service organization in the Nordics, we examine through the lens of felt accountability, the reaction and roles of line managers to emergent accountability challenges precipitated by parallel maintenance of agile and non-agile unit combinations.

“Are we working (too) comfortably?”: a focus group study to understand sedentary behaviour when working at home and identify intervention strategies

BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic initiated an enduring shift in working patterns, with many employees now working at home (w@h). This shift has exacerbated existing high levels of occupational sedentary behaviour (SB) in office workers, which is a recognised risk to health and well-being. This study aimed to use the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model to better understand both employees’ SB, and line managers behaviour to assist employees to reduce SB when w@h, and identify how employees can best be supported to reduce SB.MethodsThree online focus groups with employees aged 18–40 working in desk-based roles (e.g. administrative / sales / customer services) (n = 21), and three with line managers (n = 21) were conducted. The focus groups facilitated discussion regarding participants’ current behaviour, what impacts it, and what could be done to reduce employee SB when w@h. The focus group data were thematically analysed guided by the COM-B framework to understand influences on behaviour, and to identify promising intervention strategies.ResultsMost participants recognised that w@h had elevated employee occupational SB, and line managers reported the importance of supporting employees to manage their workload, and encouraging and modelling taking breaks. There were multiple influences on both employee and line manager behaviour with capability, opportunity and motivation all perceived as influential, although not equally. For example, a major theme related to the reduced physical opportunities for employees to reduce their SB when w@h, including blurred work-life boundaries. Changes in physical opportunities also made supporting employees challenging for line managers. Additionally, the w@h environment included unique social opportunities that negatively impacted the behaviour of both groups, including an expectation to always be present online, and social norms. A range of strategies for reducing SB when w@h at both individual and organisational level were suggested.ConclusionsIt was evident that SB when w@h is influenced by a range of factors, and therefore multi-component intervention strategies are likely to be most effective in reducing SB. Future intervention research is a priority to evaluate and refine strategies, and inform w@h guidance to protect both the short-term and long-term health consequences of elevated SB for those who continue to w@h.

Effect of Fringe Benefits and Remuneration on Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement.

Purpose of the study - This study assessed the effect of fringe benefits and remuneration on employee performance and explored the mediating role of employee engagement. Methodology- The study employed a quantitative approach to data collection and analysis. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire distributed among 270 employees from Asanduff Construction Limited- Accra, Ghana. The analysis was conducted using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling. Findings- The study revealed that fringe benefits and remuneration did not affect employee job performance. With the mediation analysis, the analysis showed that employee engagement mediated the relationship between remuneration and employee performance as well as fringe benefits and employee performance. Limitations- First, the study’s limitation has to do with its geographical coverage. The study was also limited to the working staff of Asanduff Construction Limited with an estimated sample size of 278 which could be relatively small. Again, through questionnaires being used as the main instrument, the study responses might be without honesty and accuracy. Thus, the study results might be affected by bias which will limit the generalizability. Practical implications- The results of this study will contribute to human re-source managers' efforts in putting plans in place to improve the operations of their companies. Line managers should therefore make every effort to ensure that their staff members are motivated by the work they do to increase productivity, as this study also discovered a link between employee engage-ment and performance. Strategically, leadership and management of organi-zations will be based on the findings of this study and plan important work-shops, seminars, symposiums, conferences, etc. with a major focus on provid-ing employees with proper fringe benefits at the workplace to ensure that they increase productivity at the workplace. Originality/value- The study contributes to the literature by assessing the effect of fringe benefits and remuneration on employee performance and exploring the mediating role of employee engagement.

The effects of artificial intelligence on human resource activities and the roles of the human resource triad: opportunities and challenges.

This study analyzes the existing academic literature to identify the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on human resource (HR) activities, highlighting both opportunities and associated challenges, and on the roles of employees, line managers, and HR professionals, collectively referred to as the HR triad. We employed the scoping review method to capture and synthesize relevant academic literature in the AI-human resource management (HRM) field, examining 27 years of research (43 peer-reviewed articles are included). Based on the results, we propose an integrative framework that outlines the five primary effects of AI on HR activities: task automation, optimized HR data use, augmentation of human capabilities, work context redesign, and transformation of the social and relational aspects of work. We also detail the opportunities and challenges associated with each of these effects and the changes in the roles of the HR triad. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on AI-augmented HRM by discussing the theoretical contributions and managerial implications of our findings, along with avenues for future research. By considering the most recent studies on the topic, this scoping review sheds light on the effects of AI on the roles of the HR triad, enabling these key stakeholders to better prepare for this technological change. The findings can inform future academic research, organizations using or considering the application of AI in HRM, and policymakers. This is particularly timely, given the growing adoption of AI in HRM activities.

What HR Issues and Challenges are Addressed by Contemporary HR Professionals and Line Managers? A Survey Evidence from the Czech Republic

Abstract Research purpose. Succeeding in a changing business world means being familiar with emerging business trends, including issues and challenges related to human resources (HR). The paper investigates HR issues and challenges addressed by HR professionals and line managers of businesses in the Czech Republic. The investigation aims to uncover which HR issues are faced most often and which HR challenges are expected in the coming years to identify existing and potential HR issues and challenges that businesses should deal with to meet their needs. Design / Methodology / Approach. The investigation is founded on the reanalysis of data from the 2023 HR survey carried out by the Grafton Recruitment Czech Republic staffing agency at the end of 2022. The original data were provided by the co-author representing the staffing agency. The reanalysis was used to utilize the original data, to evaluate responses depending on the business type (manufacturing, non-manufacturing) and size (small, medium-sized, large), and to verify hypotheses concerning realized and planned changes in the number of employees. The original online survey addressed roughly a thousand clients of the staffing agency. The responses were obtained from 478 businesses across the Czech Republic that responded to thirty questions about their HR policies and plans. The reanalysis covers eight questions about their HR roles, issues, and challenges. The original data were not modified. To verify hypotheses, a non-parametric chi-square test of independence for a contingency table was used. To evaluate the degree of dependence between variables, a contingency coefficient was used. Findings. The surveyed businesses most often face HR issues of employee resourcing. The HR challenges they expect in the coming years concern the development of the employer brand, the introduction of digital and AI technologies, or the introduction of innovative organizational arrangements to hire suitable employees or replace the missing employees. The findings revealed a dependence between realized and planned changes in the number of employees. The realized increase and decrease in the number of employees referred to the planned increase and decrease in the number of employees. The findings revealed no significant differences in responses depending on the type (manufacturing and non-manufacturing) and size (small, medium-sized, and large) of businesses. Originality / Value / Practical implications. The findings bring original perspectives on existing and potential HR issues and challenges addressed by surveyed businesses in the Czech Republic. The findings contribute to the present theory and practice of employee resourcing by confirming the value of HR professionals and line managers in addressing staffing issues. The findings can be applied in the design of HR service delivery systems in different businesses by highlighting HR issues and challenges that businesses should focus on.

Optimizing Organizational Performance Through a Conversation-Based Performance Management System Approach

This study examines the need for an effective performance management system within organizations. Prior research indicates that such systems significantly enhance business outcomes (Pulakos, Mueller-Hanson & Arad, 2019). O’Kane, McCracken & Brown (2022) introduced a conversation-based performance management model grounded in social exchange theory (SET), suggesting that discussions between supervisors and subordinates foster positive reciprocal relationships. This research aims to analyze the effectiveness of the performance management system implemented by a private trading company in Indonesia. The qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with the Board of Directors, HRD, Line Managers, and Staff, as well as focus group discussions with Senior Managers. Findings reveal gaps in the system's implementation, notably the absence of feedback processes central to this model. Identified factors contributing to these gaps include goal alignment, feedback frequency, skills development, and formality, alongside environmental factors such as design, development function, buy-in, culture, and linkage with other systems. The study underscores the importance of feedback and explores the system's effectiveness from various perspectives, offering insights that contribute to the literature on performance management systems, particularly conversation-based approaches in private companies in Indonesia.

The where and the who of HRM decision-making: HRM decentralization and devolution

PurposeHRM decentralization and devolution have been highlighted as key HRM processes in organizations’ quest for increased flexibility. Although they have been extensively studied in the MNC and International HRM literature, they have mainly been examined on a separate basis, and their definition and operationalization have often been confused. Thus, we first clarify the difference between the two concepts by refining the definitions by Hoogendoorn and Brewster (1992), and then empirically examine how they are related.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between HRM decentralization and devolution is examined by means of a survey in a large multi-country sample of multi-unit organizations.FindingsRegarding our clarification objective, we contend that devolution has to do with who takes responsibilities for HRM (i.e. line managers or HRM professionals) while decentralization refers to where HRM responsibilities are allocated (i.e. headquarters or increasingly local units). Regarding the relationship between the two concepts, the results show that higher levels of HRM decentralization are related to higher levels of devolution, but this association is attenuated in organizations with more powerful HRM departments.Originality/valueThe study contributes to theory and practice by disentangling, at the conceptual, operational, empirical and practical levels, two different but related HRM decisions (how much to devolve and how much to decentralize HRM) that organizations must make to efficiently cope with the characteristics of their own structure and competitive environment. It highlights the role of the relative power of HRM departments in how HRM responsibilities are ultimately distributed across the organization.

Types of shop stewards in a South African higher education institution and their varying challenges

ABSTRACT The main role of shop stewards, whether part-time or full-time, is to act as workplace representatives for trade unions. However, they face several challenges while fulfilling their roles, more specifically shop stewards in the higher education sector due to marginalisation and politicisation in the sector. This study employs qualitative research methods to explore these challenges and proposes effective solutions for shop stewards. The study involved interviews with 15 shop stewards from a higher education organisation. After analysing the data, the findings revealed that part-time shop stewards get challenged by role overload and face the risk of career suicide. On the other hand, full-time shop stewards are challenged by the prolonged working hours. Similarly, both types of shop stewards experience work-family and interpersonal conflicts. South African labour legislation needs to be relooked at to accommodate the dual roles of part-time shop stewards and reduce the hostility they encounter from line managers or employers. Moreover, shop stewards need to develop on self-and others’ awareness skills, and create own awareness with workplace policies so that they carefully navigate between their two roles without any major ramifications like disciplinary hearings. These findings provide new information on shop stewards challenges by type in the higher education sector.

Bridging the gap between diversity, equity and inclusion policy and practice: the case of disability

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies have increasingly gained importance in recent years as companies have begun to recognise the importance of creating a more inclusive workplace. Research has shown, however, that working practices do not always reflect policies. This article uses the case of disability to investigate the challenges and facilitators of implementing DEI policies and putting them into practice. Based on 29 interviews with people working in the private sphere, the findings suggest that organisations face three main challenges in seeking to put disability-related DEI policies into practice: (i) getting people on board, (ii) gathering information, and (iii) meeting increased demand for knowledge work. Having said that, integrating policy and practice is facilitated by (a) engaging in partnerships, (b) garnering line managers’ support, and (c) fostering open communication.

Development of a dedicated process simulator for the digital twin in apparel manufacturing: a case study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to introduce a dedicated simulator to automatically generate and simulate a balanced apparel assembly line, which is critical to the digital twin concept in apparel manufacturing. Given the low automation level in apparel manufacturing, this is a first step toward the implementation of a smart factory based on cyber-physical systems.Design/methodology/approachThe mixed task assignment algorithm was implemented to automatically generate a module-based apparel assembly line in the developed simulator. To validate the developed simulator, a case study was conducted using process analysis data of technical jackets obtained from an apparel manufacturer. The case study included three scenarios: calculating the number of workers, selecting orders based on factory capacity and managing unexpected worker absences.FindingsThe developed simulator is approximately 97.2% accurate in assigning appropriate tasks to workstations using the mixed task assignment algorithm. The simulator was also found to be effective in supporting decision-making for production planning, order selection and apparel assembly line management. In addition, the module-based line generation algorithm made it easy to modify the assembly line.Originality/valueThis study contributes a novel approach to address the challenge of low automation levels in apparel manufacturing by introducing a dedicated simulator. This dedicated simulator improves the efficiency of virtual apparel assembly line generation and simulation, which distinguishes it from existing commercial simulation software.

Requirements for the Transformation towards Returnable Transport Item-Enabled Circular Economies in the Austrian Parcel Industry

The European Green Deal sets the ambitious targets of establishing the first climate neutral continent by 2050 and reducing emissions by a minimum of 55% by 2030. In order to move the involved stakeholders to action, the European Commission has formulated proposals for regulations. One such proposal defines a legal framework to force industries to reduce the environmental burden caused by packaging waste. A major waste producer is the parcel service industry (CEP; courier, express, and parcel) and the industries it serves. Once put into place by the EU member states, the new laws will force all players in these sectors to increase business innovations in circular economies, which are based on the principles of recycling and reuse. Circular economies can be achieved by the implementation of returnable transport items (RTI) integrated with Industry 4.0 technologies. The ongoing research project ReKEP, which is largely funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, investigates potential impacts of RTI-based circular economies in the Austrian parcel service industry. The project’s particular interest is to identify the requirements of the most relevant stakeholder groups in the CEP industry for the successful transformation towards RTI-enabled circular economies. For this purpose, we conducted interviews with leaders and decision-makers of 10 stakeholder organizations, including producers, retailers, CEP contractors and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. This paper summarizes the interview results, which indicate that, despite recognizing the high potential of RTIs for reaching ecological sustainability goals, the contemporary awareness of the EU Green Deal and the concomitant responsibility to take action seems too low for successful implementation. The study outcome suggests that research and development in RTI should focus on operational requirements of workers and line managers from CEP industries for successful transformations to circular economies.

Evaluating performance in the context of mobile telework: an attention-based view

This study is an empirical account of how line managers evaluate the performance of their subordinates in the context of mobile telework. Whilst the increasing use of new technologies affords certain advantages for line managers in remote performance evaluation (PE), it also results in a greater volume, fragmentation and variety of performance data, which can be challenging to manage. Adopting an attention-based view (ABV), we shed light on the role of technology in PE, elaborating on the kinds of attentional stimuli that are generated by technology as part of the broader socio-technical work environment, and how these together with the attentional perspectives of the manager influence attentional engagement, i.e. what managers direct their time, energy and effort on in PE. Our focus is on attention as something line managers do, in their immediate context. We contribute to the remote work and PE literature by showing how the interplay between two drivers of attentional engagement: attentional stimuli (different possible foci of attention in the external environment) and managers’ own attentional perspectives (the cognitive and motivational structures that influence what stimuli receive attention) influence the attentional engagement in PE of mobile teleworkers.

Typology of employers offering line manager training for mental health.

Mental ill health has a high economic impact on society and employers. National and international policy advocates line manager (LM) training in mental health as a key intervention, but little is known about employer training provisions. To explore the prevalence and characteristics of organizations that offer LM training in mental health. Secondary analysis of existing longitudinal anonymised organizational-level survey data derived from computer-assisted telephone interview surveys collected in four waves (2020:1900 firms, 2021:1551, 2022:1904, 2023:1902) in England, before, during and after a global pandemic. The proportion of organizations offering LM training in mental health increased pre- to post-pandemic (2020:50%, 2023:59%) but 41% do not currently provide it. Logistic regression confirmed that LM training is more likely to be offered by large-sized enterprises, organizations with a larger proportion of employees who are younger (aged 25-49), female, disabled and from ethnic minority communities. Sector patterns were inconsistent, but in 2023, organizations from the 'Hospitality' and 'Business Services' sectors were more likely to provide LM training than other sectors. Continued efforts are needed to increase the proportion of employers offering LM training in mental health, particularly small- to medium-sized enterprises, and organizations with predominantly male, White and/or older workforces.

Developing leaders on-line using action learning: an account of practice

ABSTRACT Amid the backdrop of the global pandemic and other complex societal and organizational challenges, the demand for proficient people management skills among managers and leaders has become increasingly urgent. The ensuing narrative offers an account of a leadership development initiative tailored for line managers and delivered amid the pandemic. This account focuses on a specific facet of the training - a series of online action learning sessions conducted between April 2021 and May 2022. The article commences by laying a contextual foundation for the project and profiling its participants. Subsequently, the paper delineates the precise action learning methodology adopted within the project, detailing its structuring and implementation. This is followed by the presentation of case studies featuring participants who engaged with the action learning process, delving into their training experiences and elucidating key outcomes pertaining to their learning, development and alterations in professional practice. Ultimately, the article culminates by reflecting on crucial findings and insights gleaned from the execution and assessment of the action learning initiative, thereby underscoring valuable recommendations for the future implementation of action learning in leadership development.

The dilemma of employee productivity measures and managerialism practices: an empirical exploration in financial institutions

PurposeThis empirical study aims to explore how actors in specific human resource practices (HRPs) such as line managers (LMs) impact employee productivity measures in the context of financial institutions (FI) banks.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-country study adopted a qualitative methodology. It employed semi-structured interviews to collect data from purposefully selected 12 business facing directors (BFDs) working in the top 10 banks in Nigeria and the UK. The data collected were analysed with the help of the trans-positional cognition approach (TPCA) phenomenological method.FindingsThe findings of a TPCA analytical process imply that in the UK and Nigeria’s FIs, the BFDs line managers’ human resources practices (LMHRPs) resulted in a highly regulated workplace, knowledge gap, service operations challenges and subjective quantitatively driven key performance indicators, considered service productivity paradoxical elements. Although the practices in the UK and Nigerian FIs had similar labels, their aggregates were underpinned by different contextual issues.Practical implicationsTo support LMs in better understanding and managing FIs BFDs productivity measures and outcomes, we propose the Managerial Employee Productivity Operational Definition framework as part of their toolkit. This study will be helpful for banking sectors, their regulators, policymakers, other FIs’ industry stakeholders and future researchers in the field.Originality/valueWithin the context of the UK and Nigeria’s FIs, this study is the first attempt to understand how LMHRPs impact BFDs productivity in this manner. It confirms that LMHRPs result in service productivity paradoxical elements with perceived or lost productivity implications.

Abstract PO4-05-05: Immune Activation Signatures for predicting CDKi primary response in advanced breast cancer patients

Abstract Background Cyclin Dependent Kinase inhibitors (CDKi’s) in combination with Endocrine Therapy (ET) have changed the first line management of patients with the most common subtype (HR+, HER2-) of metastatic breast cancer (MBC), improving progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival. However, in approved indications for advanced breast cancer, approximately 20% of patients have been observed to have no response to CDKi’s and ET, and to progress after starting these therapies. Unlike other targeted therapeutics, there is no companion diagnostic or other clinically reliable biomarker for clinical decision support to indicate which patients will and will not benefit from CDKi therapy. Methods We have developed a novel platform that measures the Immune Activation Signature of patient plasma samples. Via simple measurements of the total concentration of protein-incorporated amino acid residues within patient plasma samples, the platform is designed to reveal changes in the proportion of immunoglobulins and albumin, and class-switching among immunoglobulins. For that purpose, we use Bioorthogonal chemical labelling reactions to label the protein-incorporated amino acids residues within the plasma. We measured the plasma samples of N=30 HR+, HER2- MBC patients, median age 54 years old, who were baseline naïve for CDKi’s treatment (16 on palbociclib, 11 on ribociclib, and 3 on abemaciclib) and ET. Eighteen patients had metastatic visceral disease and 12 patients had bone-only MBC. All patients were prospectively followed, and response assessed according to RECIST criteria on a CT scan every 3-months. Results Non-responding patients developed objective progressive disease during the first 6 months after starting CDKis and ET. In this cohort, 4 patients (13%) were classified as non-responders. The median PFS in non-responding patients was 4.5 months (4.03-5.02) and the median PFS in the cohort of responding patients was 16.6 months (6.8 – 40.9). The Immune Activation Signatures of the Responding and Non-Responding patients are shown in table 1. We analyzed the results with classical statistics and machine learning. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test of the null hypothesis that the Immune Activation Signatures of Non-Responders and Responders are the same gave p = 0.00388. We analyzed the measured Immune Activation Signatures using a supervised machine learning classifier and observed in a held-back validation set correct prediction of 100% of non-responding patients and 95% accurate predictions overall. Conclusions According to these results, this platform may provide a clinically helpful biomarker for clinical decision support in the advanced or aggressive breast cancer context (patients with visceral metastasis bordering on visceral crisis), or for patient stratification in new indications. Table. Immune Activation Signature measurements (mean values in Clinical Outcome) Citation Format: Luis Costa, Cong Tang, Emma Yates, Qi Shi, Wesley Sukdao, Patricia Corredeira, Gonçalo Costa, Helena Pais, Catarina Abreu, Leonor Ribeiro, Rita Teixeira de Sousa, Sofia Torres, André Mansinho, Sandra Casimiro, Ana Cavaco, Patricia Alves, Angela Rodrigues, Lisiana Szeneszi, Gonçalo Bernardes. Immune Activation Signatures for predicting CDKi primary response in advanced breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-05-05.

Innovation Culture and Millennial Characteristics: Determinants of Millennial Turnover Intention in the Banking Sector

Since Millennials form the largest part of today’s workforce, it is prudent to know Millennials' motivation and characteristics that support their retention. Based on data from 348 team leaders and line managers, a hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the impact of Millennial-specific characteristics and organizational environmental factors on their turnover intentions (MTI). While teamwork and technology orientation had a negative effect on MTI, achievement orientation had a negative impact on MTI. The results revealed a negative relationship after testing the organizational environmental factor, innovation culture, and MTI. Thus, firms should engage in the development of a culture of innovation and teamwork to support Millennials with a high achievement orientation to succeed in an open, transparent organizational structure.

A benchmark dataset with Knowledge Graph generation for Industry 4.0 production lines

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a new era in the industrial revolution that emphasizes machine connectivity, automation, and data analytics. The I4.0 pillars such as autonomous robots, cloud computing, horizontal and vertical system integration, and the industrial internet of things have increased the performance and efficiency of production lines in the manufacturing industry. Over the past years, efforts have been made to propose semantic models to represent the manufacturing domain knowledge, one such model is Reference Generalized Ontological Model (RGOM).11 https://w3id.org/rgom However, its adaptability like other models is not ensured due to the lack of manufacturing data. In this paper, we aim to develop a benchmark dataset for knowledge graph generation in Industry 4.0 production lines and to show the benefits of using ontologies and semantic annotations of data to showcase how the I4.0 industry can benefit from KGs and semantic datasets. This work is the result of collaboration with the production line managers, supervisors, and engineers in the football industry to acquire realistic production line data22 https://github.com/MuhammadYahta/ManufacturingProductionLineDataSetGeneration-Football,.33 https://zenodo.org/record/7779522 Knowledge Graphs (KGs) or Knowledge Graph (KG) have emerged as a significant technology to store the semantics of the domain entities. KGs have been used in a variety of industries, including banking, the automobile industry, oil and gas, pharmaceutical and health care, publishing, media, etc. The data is mapped and populated to the RGOM classes and relationships using an automated solution based on JenaAPI, producing an I4.0 KG. It contains more than 2.5 million axioms and about 1 million instances. This KG enables us to demonstrate the adaptability and usefulness of the RGOM. Our research helps the production line staff to take timely decisions by exploiting the information embedded in the KG. In relation to this, the RGOM adaptability is demonstrated with the help of a use case scenario to discover required information such as current temperature at a particular time, the status of the motor, tools deployed on the machine, etc.

Prevalence and nature of workplace bullying and harassment and associations with mental health conditions in England: a cross-sectional probability sample survey

BackgroundEvidence on workplace bullying and harassment (WBH) in the UK has not used probability-sample surveys with robust mental health assessments. This study aimed to profile the prevalence and nature of WBH in England, identify inequalities in exposure, and quantify adjusted associations with mental health.MethodsData were from the 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, a cross-sectional probability-sample survey of the household population in England. Criteria for inclusion in the secondary analysis were being aged 16–70 years and in paid work in the past month (n = 3838). Common mental disorders (CMDs) were assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised and mental wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Analyses were weighted. We examined associations between past-year WBH and current CMD using multivariable regression modelling, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Interaction terms tested for gender differences in associations. The study received ethical approval (ETH21220–299).ResultsOne in ten employees (10.6%, n = 444/3838) reported past-year experience of WBH, with rates higher in women (12.2%, n = 284/2189), those of mixed, multiple, and other ethnicity (21.0%, n = 15/92), and people in debt (15.2%, n = 50/281) or living in cold homes (14.6%, n = 42/234). Most commonly identified perpetrators of WBH were line managers (53.6%, n = 244/444) or colleagues (42.8%, n = 194/444). Excessive criticism (49.3%, n = 212/444), verbal abuse (42.6%, n = 187/444), and humiliation (31.4%, n = 142/444) were the most common types. WBH was associated with all indicators of poor mental health, including CMD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.65, 95% CI 2.02–3.49), and 11 of 14 mental wellbeing indicators, including lower levels of confidence (aOR 0.57, 0.46–0.72) and closeness to others (aOR 0.57, 0.46–0.72). Patterns of association between WBH and mental health were similar in men and women.ConclusionsThese findings reinforce a need for more cohesive UK legislation against WBH; guidance on recognition of bullying behaviours for employees, managers, and human resources, focusing on prevention and early intervention, and increased awareness of the impact of WBH on mental health among health service practitioners. Limitations include reliance on cross-sectional data collected before pandemic-related and other changes in workplace practices. Longitudinal data are needed to improve evidence on causality and the longevity of mental health impacts.

What can nudging offer to reduce workplace sexual harassment? A conceptual review

This paper examines workplace sexual harassment and looks into why workplace sexual harassment remains a pervasive, underappreciated problem in the United States and outlines the limitations of existing controls of sexual harassment at work, namely sexual harassment policies, awareness training, and grievance procedures. Based on these limitations, it reflects on the current definitions of sexual harassment and introduces the concept of nudging to support the preventive and corrective measures already adopted to reduce workplace sexual harassment. It provides a conceptual framework of nudges that might be effective in reducing incidents of sexual harassment. The eight types of nudges that form the framework are grouped into five overall categories depending on who a nudge is for: top, middle, and line management, harassers, observers, victims, and society. This paper is first to conceptualize nudging as a supportive mechanism to traditional management control systems in the context of workplace sexual harassment.