Low Morale Research Articles

Nurturing Joyful Teaching in an Era of Standardization and Commodification

Low teacher morale suggests a need for a renewed focus on joyful teaching. Moreover, mechanical lesson planning can discourage teacher candidates whose aspirations to teach pivot around their desire to make a difference in the lives of others while pursuing a career that will be joyful and fulfilling. Teacher educators can support candidates by engaging them in reflection and dialogue about the intrinsically joyful pedagogical and relational aspects of teaching.

Promotion: An Intractable Management Problem for Academic and Public Libraries

The lack of opportunities for promotion within libraries may be an important reason for job dissatisfaction and lowered morale. This column examines reasons why librarians wish to be promoted, the two paths for promotion, a short history of promotion since 1945, how promotions occur, why promotion is a challenge for management, and some suggestions to alleviate the problem. The corporate promotion model requires moving into a position with increased responsibilities and is often the only model in public libraries. The academic promotion model also offers the possibility of promotion for increased performance of the same duties, usually according to more formal rules. A blocked path for promotion can lead to leaving the library for opportunities elsewhere or create morale problems. Library managers can take some steps to increase promotion opportunities and sustain morale. The concluding section briefly argues the opposing viewpoint that the current state of promotion may benefit the profession as a whole if not some individual librarians.

Morale and burnout in an Australian public school: A socio-technical systems approach

This exploratory case study investigated the link between morale and burnout in an Australian public school. Qualitative data was collected from 8 focus groups involving 47 participants. In analysing the qualitative data, an objective content analysis using the software program Leximancer was conducted. The findings indicated that a lack of support and poor systems (particularly in relation to behavioural management) were central to staff burnout and lower morale. A socio-technical systems framework including people, systems and tools was developed and applied to explain the results. It was argued that the attributional process of blame and a lack of perceived empathy (for poor systems) from leaders in the school was adding to feelings of low morale. The findings suggest that without empathy in leadership, attempts to improve morale in a workplace may actually increase burnout risk. The case study also highlights the buffering effect that ‘pod-synergy’ can have in mitigating burnout risk among teachers when there is a lack of involvement and empathy in the way decisions are made by leaders. Finally, a balance between the people and the systems is recommended so that there is enough autonomy for teachers to make situation-based decisions using their own skills and training without the demands of too much ‘red tape’.

The Experience of Social and Emotional Distancing Among Health Care Providers in the Context of COVID-19: A Study from North India

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a variety of unforseen psychosocial consequences. Many health care providers report experiencing a variety of social, emotional and physiological consequences. Particularly painful is perceived changes in the quality and quantity of emotional and social connections with peers, community and family. However, this emotional and social distancing as a consequence of affiliation with a health care service has not been studied. Perceived feelings of emotional and social distancing may contribute to lower morale among HCP. Methods: We designed a brief internet survey based on findings of studies examining this phenomenon in Ebola epidemics in Africa. We circulated this study among various categories of HCP in a tertiary training hospital in North India. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained and analysed. Results: 574 HCP responded to the survey. A majority of respondents across different categories of HCP experienced the social and emotional impact of working in a health care setting in the COVID-19 pandemic. This was experienced at the workplace, community and family (in decreasing order). Conclusions: The phenomenon of the social and emotional impact as manifested as distancing in HCP from peers, community members and family need to be better recognised and studied. Specific measures to counter this are required. Funding Statement: None. Declaration of Interests: None. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the Institute ethics committee.

Perceived leadership style and job satisfaction of teachers in Public and Private Schools

During a prolonged period of financial crisis in Greece, public administration has exhibited signs of deteriorating work conditions, erratic funding and low staff morale, creating unfavourable working conditions. The present work investigated the perceived leadership style and job satisfaction of teachers in public and private schools in the capital city of the region of Epirus in NW Greece. Job satisfaction was measured with the use of Warr-Cook-Wall job satisfaction scale. The MLQ 5X-Short was used to assess teachers' perception of leadership style. Compared to public schools, private school teachers exhibited higher level of job satisfaction. In both public and private schools, a transformational model of leadership prevailed followed by a transactional model of leadership with a significant higher score of transformational leadership prevailing in private schools. The results indicate that compared to public schools, the higher level of job satisfaction of private school teachers stems at least partially from differences in environmental factors such as work conditions and motivation by the school principal.

The Case for Changing the Narrative in Health & Social Care

Given our current challenges, how can we contribute to making a difference in patient care and service efficiencies? In other words, how can we all work towards changing the narrative and acting in different ways to make a difference to our patients, colleagues, and organisations alike. Whilst not overstating the case, our NHS is being challenged from several angles. Many colleagues are under serious work pressures, are stressed, suffer from low morale, some are voting with their feet and many more are reporting burnout. And yes, some of our patients are not having the timely care that they deserve? Many of our organisations are in financial distress; many are in special measures and Turnaround Regimes.

Moving from a compliance-based to an integrity-based organizational climate in the food supply chain.

Compliance is the act or status of complying with an imperative regulatory or normative requirement, that is, compliance means working within boundaries defined by contractual, social, or cultural standards. The aim of this narrative review is to use the food supply chain as a lens of enquiry to distinguish between compliance-based and integrity-based organizational climates and frame and rationalize why deviant behavior arises and how it can be identified. Contemporary theory is explored and critiqued using case studies to contextualize the challenge of organizations promoting supply chain compliance and at the same time recognizing the need for deviant behavior to occur in order to drive innovation and continuous improvement within food supply chains. Deviant behavior can be perceived as either positive in terms of driving continuous improvement or destructive where this behavior has a negative impact on the organization. Although multiple cultural maturity models seek to characterize positive food safety culture and climate, there is minimal research that focuses on the characterization of deviant negative behavior or the development of early warning systems designed to pinpoint signals, traits, or characteristics of this behavior such as low staff morale, theft, property destruction, or absenteeism. The use of cultural maturity models and assessment tools is of value in assisting organizations to translate from a rule, instrumental, or compliance-based organizational climate to an ethically strong organizational climate that focuses on integrity, building trust, and values and a new cultural maturity model is proposed and explored.

EP16 The impact of comorbidities on individuals with inflammatory arthritis

Abstract Background Inflammatory arthritis (IA) predisposes to comorbidities (CC) including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, depression, infections, and cancer. CC are associated with higher mortality, poorer quality of life, and greater utilisation of health resources. Treating CC can be challenging and their impact is not addressed by current guidelines. The patient’s perspective of living with multiple conditions remains largely unexplored. We explored patient experience, impact of CC and polypharmacy on their quality of life and activities of daily living. Methods A mixed methods approach has been used. Patients with a definite diagnosis of IA with at least 1 Charlson comorbidity were invited to answer questionnaires. A sample of patients was invited for an in-depth qualitative interview which was analysed using thematic analysis approach. Results 146 patients from 3 centres were recruited. 82 (56%) were females. 58 (40%) had 1 CC, 62 (42.5%) had ≥2 CC, 21 (14.5%) had ≥4 CC. Most common CC was hypertension 76 (53%), pulmonary disease 49 (34%), and diabetes 34 (23.5%). 28 (19%) remained in full time employment and 19 (13%) were unemployed. 27 (18.5%) had to cut down hours because of illness. Disease duration was >10 years in 74 (51%), 5-10 years in 29 (20%), 3- 5 yrs in 21 (14%) and <3 years in 22 (15%). Self-rated severity of disease was rated as low (26%), moderate (42%), severe (24%) and very severe (5.5%). Awareness and impact of CC: 77 (53%) expressed that CC affected their health as much as their arthritis. No information on CC was provided in 27 (18%), minimal information in 35 (24%) and detailed information 69 (47%). 68 (47%) were aware that some of the comorbidities could be the result of the disease or medications and 72 (49%) weren’t aware. 82 (56%) needed help from their family members/carers and of those 30% needed help daily due to CC. Polypharmacy: 73 (50%) stated either they were not involved or ‘just a little’ in choice of medication. 23 (15%) needed medication for side effects. 116 (79%) stated that doctors discuss the risks and benefits at follow ups. 130 (89%) take arthritis and CC related medication regularly. Lifestyle advice: 106 (73%) stated that education on CC wasn’t offered. 24 (16%) were not offered smoking cessation and 32 (22%) declined smoking cessation clinics. 43 (30%) weren’t aware that obesity could cause joint pains or increase the risk of diabetes, hypertension or IHD. 95 (65%) said advice on benefits of exercise was provided. Light exercises such as walking for minimum of 30 minutes was undertaken by 75%: reasons for not exercising were pain, fatigue, lack of motivation, low morale and CC. Conclusion This novel study provides insight into patient experiences of understanding comorbidities in the context of inflammatory arthritis. CC have a large impact on their lives and current care does not adequately meet their needs with respect to education of CC, understanding the impact, shared decision-making and lifestyle advice. Disclosures G.M. Koduri Honoraria; Roche. Grants/research support; Funding from Charity. N. Gullick None. F. Hayes None. A. Kayani None. S. Dubey None. C. Mukhtyar None.

Barriers to, and recommendations for, the provision of care and support to children living as AIDS orphans in township communities in South Africa: a cluster analysis

BackgroundOrphanhood is a major consequence of the AIDS pandemic; the total number of people living with HIV in South Africa increased from an estimated 4·72 million in 2002 to 7·03 million by 2017. In South Africa, most children who are orphaned because one or both parents died from AIDS live in township communities. The aim of this study was to identify barriers to, and recommendations for, providing care and support to these vulnerable children. MethodsI undertook in-depth interviews with professionals caring for and supporting children who are AIDS orphans at four primary health care clinics and 12 satellite health care clinics in township communities in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Primary health care nurses and social workers were selected using criterion-based purposive sampling; snowball sampling was used to select psychologists. I asked participants to make recommendations for how care and support is provided for children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities in South Africa. Data were coded 0 for absent and 1 for present and used the heatmap.2 command in the R package gplots, which uses Euclidean distance to cluster the pattern of participant responses. FindingsBetween April and October, 2013, ten primary health care nurses, eight social workers, and six psychologists were interviewed. Analysis undertaken in September, 2018, identified six clusters illustrating barriers to providing care and support: fundamental barriers such as low morale in professionals; barriers primarily related to legislative and policy frameworks; lack of human and financial resources; grief, high-risk behaviours, and cumbersome bureaucratic processes; poverty; and barriers related to poverty including non-disclosure of HIV status. Recommendations identified fell into the following broad themes: development of resilience of health and social care professionals; development of responses to meet the unique needs of these AIDS orphans; developing, empowering, and capacitating professionals; and facilitating an empowering working environment. InterpretationSignificant clusters emerged from analysis and these identified barriers to, and recommendations for, delivering care could be used to form the cornerstone of an intervention to provide best practice care and support for these vulnerable children. FundingNone

Measurement of operator reliability level using the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) method

Workers can cause harm to the company caused by human error. Human error has a close relationship with the level of reliability of a worker. One result of the low level of reliability of workers is product defects. PT. X is a company that manufactures engine and molding spare parts and dies, using automatic machinery. There are defective products on production, with an average number of defects of 1.2% per month above the disability tolerance set by the company of 0.2%. The types of defects in the product are corrugated surfaces, rough surfaces, mismatched pieces, inaccurate sizes, and the presence of foreign matter attached to the product. This product defect occurs in the milling machine. This study aims to determine the level of operator reliability at the milling work station that affects production results. This research is a descriptive qualitative research using the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) method to determine the level of operator reliability. The biggest HEP measurement results experienced by each operator is when the activity is set up and operating the machine by the program, which ranges from 0.7936 to 0.9104. The level of reliability (Rm) for operators 1, 2, 3 has a value of Rm in succession of 0.4350; 0.3627; 2005. Rm value <0.5 indicates the level of reliability which is categorized as low. This low level of reliability is caused by the absence of work procedure standards, lack of supervision of operator performance, low work morale, lack of operator experience, and no effective communication between the operator and programmer when inputting coding on the machine.

Caring for the Caregivers Through Healthy Human Resource Practices

India has a colossal shortage of human resources for health. The management of human resources in a healthcare institution is vital to enable the delivery of efficient and effective medical services and to achieve patient satisfaction. Everyone proclaims that the human asset is the most important asset. On the other side, health is declared to be one of the most important wealth. Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies constitute two arms of the “health management/ maintenance” effort of humanity. Human resource professionals face many hurdles in their attempt to deliver high-quality health care to citizens. Some of these constraints include budgets, lack of congruence between different stakeholders' values, absenteeism rates, high rates of turnover, and low morale of health personnel.

An Institutional Theory of Tax Non- Compliance in Bulgaria: a Tax Morale Approach

To explain tax non-compliance, the dominant approach has been to view noncompliance as a rational economic decision taken when the benefits outweigh the costs. However, many remain compliant even when non-compliance is the rational economic decision. The outcome has been the emergence of a new tax morale approach. Grounded in institutional theory, this asserts that formal institutional failings lead to an asymmetry between the laws and regulations of a society’s formal institutions and the beliefs of the population that constitute its informal institutions. The greater is this asymmetry (measured by the level of tax morale), the greater is the prevalence of tax non-compliance. Until now, studies have analysed the tax morale of citizens. This paper evaluates the tax morale of entrepreneurs and identifies the formal institutional failings that lead to lower tax morale among entrepreneurs. Reporting 456 face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of entrepreneurs in Bulgaria, it is revealed not only that the tax morale of entrepreneurs varies by sector and firm size, but also that the formal institutional failings significantly associated with low tax morale include a perceived lack of tax fairness, corruption and political instability. The implications for theory and policy are then discussed.

Expectation and Satisfaction with Nursing Care among Hypertensives Receiving Care at a Resource-Constrained Hospital in Ghana.

Background Hypertension accounts for a third of the global preventable premature deaths. In Sub-Saharan Africa, hypertension is the most rapidly increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the second leading cause of death. Proper management of hypertension requires adherence to management by patients and this is partly possible if patients feel satisfied with the nursing care they receive. Satisfaction with nursing care is only possible if there is a congruence between the expectations of care and the actual care received from nurses. Aim We explored the expectations and satisfaction of Ghanaian hypertensives with nursing care received at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Methods In this qualitative study, a phenomenological approach was used to gather data about the lived experiences of patients with hypertension about nursing care. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted among sixteen (16) patients with hypertension from the hypertensive Out-Patient Department (OPD) Clinics of the Medical Department at the KBTH. Only patients with history of previous admission(s) at the KBTH during the immediate past six months were purposively recruited. The respondents were interviewed about the nursing care received during their immediate past admission(s) at the KBTH using an IDI-guide. The IDIs were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim, and reviewed severally and thematic analysis was done. Nvivo 11 software was used to manage the data and aid with the thematic analysis. Results The results of this study showed that Ghanaian hypertensive patients perceived nurses as key players in the management of patients. On the respondents' expectations from nurses prior to their immediate past admissions at the KBTH, the data revealed the responsiveness of nurses to patient needs, prompt pain management, high confidentiality level of nurses, rendering of efficient health education, maintenance of therapeutic work environment, and ensuring effective communication as well as professional/ethical practice from the nurses. On the question of what made nursing care satisfying, it was observed from the respondents that they considered the competence of nurses, maintenance of therapeutic environment, and also effective handling of confidential information as determinants of their satisfaction with nursing care. Further, the respondents identified some key areas of dissatisfaction and these included the responsiveness of nurses to patient needs, prompt pain management, effectiveness of health education, and provision of culturally sensitive communication. Disproportionate distribution of nursing staff across the three nursing shifts, unethical practice among some nurses, inadequate resources for work, and low work morale of some nurses were identified as factors responsible for the gaps between patient expectations and actual care received. Conclusion Our study concludes that continuous professional development programs for nurses should focus on the areas of dissatisfaction so as to improve care for hypertensives. We also recommend that nursing staff distribution across the various shifts should be of keen interest to nurse managers if hypertension care in particular and overall patient care in general are to improve.

Reporting military casualties in Nigerian newspapers: An analysis of operations against Boko Haram insurgents

The Boko Haram conflict has inflicted untold hardship to the peace and society of the Northeast region in Nigeria and surrounding countries. Within the Nigerian front, the military has been mandated to engage the insurgents and bring them to submission. Opinions on the position of the media in helping the government to bring the conflict to a conclusion were divided as reports emerged that newspaper articles have caused low morale within the military during combat. This study employed content analysis on four Nigerian newspapers, Daily Trust, Premium Times, The Nation and Vanguard to investigate how military casualties were reported from 2014-2016. The research was based on the Framing theory of the press. Findings showed that 185 reports mentioned 33 military casualties. There were no images of military casualties found in any of the reports, where mentions of military casualties were predominantly found in the body and concluding parts of articles. The study found no evidence to support the claim that media reports were to blame for soldiers not being able to confront the Boko Haram insurgents. This study recommends cooperations between the media and military to coordinate efforts to end the conflict.

Retirement, GDPR, and word clouds.

After 28 years working full time in the same practice I retired. I received over 100 cards, letters, and emails from patients and colleagues wishing me well and thanking me for what I had done over the years. I had kept a folder of cards and letters of thanks from patients; partly in order to provide evidence for appraisal, partly for the emotional and psychological boost they bring, and partly out of respect for the patients who have taken time to write. Currently, with low morale and the shortage of GPs coupled with increasing demands, patient expectation, and complaints, the development of resilience is a priority. While the highest level of resilience …

Counterinsurgency operations of the Nigerian military and Boko Haram insurgency: expounding the viscid manacle

A number of studies have reviewed the military operational tactics vis-a-vis the claims of Boko Haram defeat. However, there is empirical evidence of soldiers’ mutiny, desertion from war fronts and low morale resulting in high success rate of Boko Haram insurgency. Despite the rise in security sector budget from about US$1.44 billion in 2009 to US2.81 billion in 2018, military-led counterinsurgency operation in Nigeria faces some notable challenges. This article, therefore, provides evidence of how military campaigns at the strategic, operational and tactical levels have been undermined by multiple factors, including corruption. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study contends that a thorough overhaul of the military counterinsurgency operations at all levels is necessary for a more effective and accountable force capable of defeating Boko Haram insurgency.

Analysis of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection in Japan Registry of Aortic Dissection (JRAD)

In 2011, the Japanese Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (JRAD) was started in accordance with the model of the International Registration of Acute Aortic Dissection. The aim of this study was to report actual clinical early and midterm outcomes of treatment for acute type A aortic dissection in Japan. Between 2011 and 2016, 1217 patients (67.9 years-old, 584 male, 241 >80 years old) who had acute type A aortic dissection within 14 days after the onset of symptoms were enrolled. Among 75% patients managed surgically, 68% underwent surgical procedure with cardiopulmonary bypass. Surgery was not indicated in 25% patients. Overall, 12% died in the hospital, 10.8% after surgical treatment and 16.6% after medical treatment. Multivariable analysis of in-hospital mortality revealed the following risk factors: age older than 80 years (odds ratio, 2.37; P < .01); shock vital status on arrival (odds ratio, 1.89; P= .01); disturbance of consciousness, including coma (odds ratio, 3.32; P < .01); and cardiac arrest, for which resuscitation was needed on arrival (odds ratio, 4.86; P < .01). JRAD data revealed the actual clinical setting for the treatment of acute type A dissection in Japan. Early surgical results were favorable, with a low in-hospital morality rate, and midterm outcomes in selected medically treated patients were equivalent. Preoperative severe conditions, including shock, need for preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and disturbance of consciousness, as well as advanced age, were risk factors for in-hospital mortality even though the referral interval was brief.

HR CRISIS MANAGEMENT AT TRADE ENTERPRISES

The article is about revealing the content and role of HR crisis management at trade enterprises. The article provides an understanding of organizational changes, crisis phenomena, and crisis management. It is stated, that management of enterprises in a crisis state is one of the main problems of economy and legislation not only of economically developed countries, but also of countries with fragile economies, to which Ukraine still applies. A set of measures for HR crisis management at a trading company was identified. At the basis of research, it is possible to identify consistent ways to implement the steps of HR crisis management at a trading company. It is established, that as a result of a crisis, organizations may lose employees, workers, along with key talent and organizational knowledge, from low morale, fear, physical relocation or death. In this case, there are outlined the core messages to decision makers that employee’s development and rewards are the major dimensions of the content of an Human Resource Management (HRM) system and that consistency and distinctiveness are the principal features of the process of HRM system, even in cases where an organization is operating under an economic crisis environment. It is stated, that the essence of crisis management of an enterprise is to provide such conditions for the functioning of an enterprise, when financial, production, marketing, personnel and other difficulties are not permanent and are quickly resolved by means of special measures. It is investigated, that HR crisis management at trade enterprises involves not only the formal organization of the work with the staff, but also a set of factors of social and psychological, moral character - democratic style of management, caring attitude to the needs of a person, attention to his/her individual characteristics, etc. It is proved, that an important factor that can contribute to effective crisis management is a well-selected, managed personnel, who respond quickly and flexibly to any changes in the environment. The article establishes the HR management in the conditions of unstable or crisis state of an enterprise as a comprehensive, planned activity, based on a system of scientifically grounded principles, experience and intuition of managers of an enterprise. There are investigated the stages for HR crisis management in the market conditions as: analysis of the problem situation and state of an enterprise, diagnostics of human resources state, development and implementation of HR marketing measures, development of a HR crisis strategy and system of its marketing support, design of a HR crisis policy, development and organization of implementation of HR crisis decisions, development of measures to overcome and prevent conflicts, determination of HRM risk and ways of their overcoming, control over the implementation of HR-crisis decisions. There is created a list of actions of HR managers while crisis management, including establishment of a crisis management team, development of recovery plans, provision of communications.

Is publicly funded criminal defence sustainable? Legal aid cuts, morale, retention and recruitment in the English criminal law professions

AbstractThis paper examines how continued reductions in fee levels for criminal legal aid work affect recruitment and retention in the English publicly funded criminal defence profession. Data from 29 qualitative interviews with English defence solicitors and barristers are analysed to explore the impact of these reductions on recruitment of new lawyers and retention of current lawyers. On the basis of these findings, also building on research conducted by lawyer professional associations, I argue that a combination of cuts to legal aid, the resulting working patterns and low morale has led to a position where the criminal defence profession, as we know it, is unsustainable.

Resistance and outcome expectations in cognitive‐behavioural therapy for generalised anxiety disorder

AbstractGreater client resistance has been consistently found to be negatively associated with outcome in psychotherapy. However, the pathways through which resistance impacts such outcomes are underexplored. Given that client outcome expectation (OE) has been identified as an important common factor in psychotherapy, the goals of the present study were to examine: (a) the impact of resistance on subsequent client and therapist OE (COE &amp; TOE, respectively); and (b) whether COE and/or TOE mediate the relationship between resistance and outcome. These relationships were tested among 44 clients with severe generalised anxiety disorder treated with cognitive‐behavioural therapy in the context of a randomised controlled trial (Westra, Constantino, &amp; Antony, 2016). Resistance was measured at a mid‐treatment session, and COE and TOE were assessed at baseline and immediately after the resistance session. Treatment outcome was measured via client‐rated worry severity at post‐treatment. As predicted, higher resistance was associated with lower subsequent COE and TOE; B = −.73, p &lt; .001 and B = −.46, p &lt; .001, respectively. In turn, lower post‐resistance COE predicted higher post‐treatment worry (B = −.5, p &lt; .001), indicating mediation. In contrast, TOE did not mediate the relationship between resistance and outcome (B = −.02, p = .876). These results suggest that resistance can be demoralising to both clients and therapists. However, only lower client morale may be detrimental to therapy outcome. This study contributes to understanding outcome pathways through two common therapy processes.