Low Job Research Articles

Do job demands and resources differ between permanent and temporary eldercare workers in Sweden?

Eldercare organizations face high sickness absence rates and staff turnover and rely heavily on temporary workers to fill staffing gaps. Temporary workers may experience differences in job demands and resources compared with permanent workers, but this has been largely understudied. To compare perceived job demands and resources between permanent and temporary Swedish eldercare workers. Permanent and temporary eldercare workers in a Swedish municipality were invited to answer a digital survey on work environment conditions. Differences between permanent and temporary workers in job demands and resources were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance adjusted for age, sex, place of birth, and percent of full-time work and univariate analyses were conducted to consider differences in specific factors. A total of 1076 permanent and 675 temporary workers received the survey, and the final study sample included 451 permanent and 151 temporary workers. Multivariate analyses revealed that temporary workers reported statistically significant lower job demands compared to permanent workers, but no statistically significant differences in resources were found between the groups. Univariate analyses showed that temporary workers reported lower quantitative demands, perceived exertion, and time spent bending forward, than permanent workers. These data suggest comparable support across groups, but a higher workload among permanent workers. Our findings indicate that temporary workers experienced lower job demands than permanent workers, but that no notable difference was found in resources. Interventions aimed at distributing job demands more evenly among eldercare workers with different employment forms may be necessary.

Addressing Nursing Resignation: Insights From Qualitative Studies on Nurses Leaving Healthcare Organisations and the Profession.

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of nurses who resigned from healthcare organisations or abandoned the profession and explore the reasons behind them. A systematic review of qualitative studies and meta-summary. Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), Social Science Citation Index (Web of Science), and Scopus. The search was conducted up to May 2024. Primary qualitative studies focused on nurses who had resigned or left the profession were included. The meta-summary was conducted using method: findings were extracted from the reports, edited, grouped, abstracted into key meta-findings, and finally, their frequency effect sizes were calculated. A total of 282 findings were extracted from 12 studies, generating 49 statements of findings that were aggregated into nine key meta-findings. Poor management practices presented a frequency effect size of 100%. Other key meta-findings included excessive workload, teamwork hurdles, health issues related to work shifts and difficulty in maintaining work-life balance, a lack of career growth opportunities and promotion chances, disillusionment with nursing, dissatisfaction due to salary, bullying and horizontal violence, and moral distress over ethical dilemmas. The findings can help support the development of targeted strategies and the implementation of effective policies aimed at reducing nursing turnover. The major impact of these findings is the recognition of rising factors that negatively affect nurses' quality of life, including workload pressures and poor management strategies, which significantly lower job satisfaction. To address these challenges, the profession should prioritise tools that value nurses in their roles, implement strategies to manage workloads more effectively and advocate for policies promoting flexible scheduling. Additionally, investing in professional development and fostering a supportive work environment can help retain skilled nurses and nurture the growth of new talent. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). No patient or public contribution.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Organizational Nepotism and Cronyism in Nordic Banks

In today’s competitive business landscape, banks are under scrutiny for practices like nepotism and cronyism, which skew fairness in employment processes. Such favoritism, manifesting through preferential hiring, compensation, and promotions, presents obstacles for merit-based recognition and advancement. This study investigates how these practices influence recruitment within Nordic banks, utilizing 34 semi-structured interviews from Denmark and Iceland to assess their prevalence and impact. By adopting a qualitative approach, the research aims to shed light on the nuanced effects of nepotism and cronyism on organizational culture and employee morale. Despite the perceived short-term advantages for businesses and selected employees, the study uncovers adverse outcomes, such as lower morale, job satisfaction, and trust in leadership, alongside a heightened propensity among employees to leave their jobs. These revelations offer critical insights for both scholars and practitioners in the banking sector, highlighting the need for strategies to mitigate the negative aspects of such favoritism in recruitment.

Characteristics and Experiences of Employees who Gamble at Work

Given that little is currently known about gambling in the workplace, we conducted a mixed-methods study to describe the characteristics and experiences of people who gamble at work. We administered a Canada-wide online survey (n = 2,000) of adults who 1) gamble, 2) are currently employed full-time, and 3) have internet access at work. A descriptive analysis of quantitative survey data showed that individuals who gamble at work had lower job satisfaction and higher rates of problem gambling compared to those who do not. Among those who gamble at work, we quantitatively described the types of gambling, the consequences experienced, and the motivations for gambling. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 individuals who met the criteria for problem gambling and who gamble at work. Data were integrated to provide a richer description of the experiences of those who gamble at work, including their motivations, the role of work–life satisfaction, and the dynamic influence of work as a social context. Motivations for workplace gambling included excitement, social connection, avoidance, and coping with stress or emotions. The results highlight the importance of understanding the varied motivations of individuals who gamble at work, and the role of work experiences in shaping meaning regarding gambling behaviours.

Microaggressions among staff in higher education: Examining differences by social identities, and the association with job satisfaction

Microaggressions are everyday slights or insults directed toward members of marginalized groups; microaggressions are harmful, even if unintentional, and they occur in various contexts including the workplace. However, there is limited research on microaggressions among staff in higher education. The first aim of this study was to obtain systematic reports of experiences of microaggressions and other forms of discrimination among staff at a large public university. The second aim was to test for differences in these experiences as a function of staff members’ race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability status. A third aim was to examine whether microaggression and discrimination predicted job satisfaction. Web-based survey data were collected from a diverse sample of 680 university staff members. The survey included adapted versions of two scales on microaggressions and standard measures of everyday and workplace discrimination. Results indicated that experiences of microaggressions and discrimination were common among staff, and differed by race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability status, with those of marginalized identities reporting significantly more negative experiences. Finally, more frequent experiences of microaggressions and workplace discrimination predicted lower job satisfaction. These findings indicate a need for education on microaggressions pertaining to campus climate improvement in institutions of higher education.

Psychological empowerment and job burnout in Chinese kindergarten teachers: The mediating effect of occupational stress

We explored the role of occupational stress in the relationship between psychological empowerment and job burnout in kindergarten teachers. Chinese female kindergarten teachers (n = 243) were participants (mean age = 28.2 years, SD = 5.08 years; specialist and below = 64.6%, formal work systems = 37.9%). They completed surveys on psychological empowerment, occupational stress, and job burnout. Path analysis findings suggested that higher psychological empowerment was associated with lower job burnout. Lower occupational stress mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and job burnout so that the teachers with a sense of psychological empowerment were likely to report less job burnout. The higher the psychological empowerment, the lower the occupational stress and lower job burnout relationship held for older age teachers and those with undergraduate degree or a higher level of education and formal employment. Kindergarten teachers should be supported in improving their psychological empowerment to reduce occupational stress, and thus, limiting their risk for job burnout.

Job satisfaction of multidisciplinary staff working in intensive care units: a cross-sectional study in Qatar

Background/Aims Job satisfaction is an important contributor to the efficacy and success of organisations. An intensive care unit is a highly skilled area of healthcare that can be a physically and mentally challenging environment for staff, potentially impacting job satisfaction. This study aimed to assess job satisfaction levels among multidisciplinary staff members working in the intensive care units of a hospital in Qatar and evaluate how this is affected by sociodemographic and employment factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study that used a survey method. A total of 142 intensive care unit nurses, physicians and allied health professionals were recruited via random sampling from a tertiary hospital in Qatar. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (short form) was used to collect data on respondents' intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction levels, using statements scored with 5-point Likert scales. The survey also collected data on respondents' gender, age, job category and years of experience working in intensive care. Data were analysed using Shapiro-Wilk tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests and analysis of variance. Mean overall job satisfaction scores were classified as low (<3.00), moderate (3.00–3.99) or high (>4.00). A P value of <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results The mean overall job satisfaction score was 3.82 out of 5.00, indicating moderate satisfaction. There were strong correlations between job satisfaction and both intrinsic (0.940) and extrinsic (0.894) satisfaction. There was a significant difference in job satisfaction levels depending on respondents' years of experience working in intensive care units (P=0.0477), with those who had less than 10 years of experience having the highest job satisfaction levels and those with 20–24 years' experience having the lowest job satisfaction levels. There were no significant differences between the job satisfaction levels of participants in different gender, age and job categories. Conclusions This study suggests that intensive care unit staff with more years of experience may have lower job satisfaction than those with fewer years of experience. Healthcare organisations should consider implementing targeted interventions to enhance job satisfaction, such as opportunities for professional development, recognition programmes, mentorship programmes, stress management workshops and efforts to improve work-life balance.

Investigating Factors that Predict Japanese Science Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: Evidence from TIMSS 2019

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data revealed that Grade 8 science teachers in several Asian countries (Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and South Korea) reported lower job satisfaction levels than the international average. For example, while Japanese Grade 8 students ranked among the highest in science achievement on the TIMSS 2019, their science teachers reported the lowest job satisfaction composite scale score compared to the other 63 participating countries. Using teacher questionnaire data from TIMSS 2019, we utilized correlation analysis and multiple linear regression to uncover the answers to this research question: Which factors contribute to Japanese Grade 8 science teachers’ job satisfaction? The results from the analysis indicate that working in a safe and orderly school environment was the strongest predictor of Japanese Grade 8 science teacher job satisfaction. The number of working hours, amount of perceived pressure exerted by their students’ parents, participation in professional development focused on science curriculum, and adopting a constructivist orientation to science teaching were the other significant factors that predicted job satisfaction. Findings from this study have implications for Japanese educational policy stakeholders, school administrators, mentor teachers, science department leadership, and those invested in science teachers’ professional development.

Job demands, control, social support and mental health in workers of thermal power plants and underground mines: A comparative study

This descriptive study was conducted to compare the job demands, job control, social support and mental health status of thermal power plant and underground coal mine workers. 158 workers in thermal power plant and 162 workers in underground coal mine participated in the study. The results unearthed that thermal power plant workers had 2.3 times better mental health (p < 0.001 OR = 2.3 CI = 1.50-3.74) and 3.0 times lower job demands (p < 0.001 OR = 3.0 CI = 1.91-4.92) than coal mine workers. In the study, it was determined that mental health was positively affected as job control and social support increased in both thermal power plant and underground mine workers (p < 0.05); there was no significant relationship between job demands and mental health (p > 0.05). These results indicate that underground mine workers are at higher risk in terms of mental health and job demands than thermal power plant workers.

Diabetes Mellitus and its Association with Work Patterns and Characteristics: A Narrative Review.

Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of disability with adverse effects on the quality of life. It also affects occupational health by impacting several work-related parameters. This review discusses the relationship between diabetes and absenteeism, presenteeism, work impairment and unemployment. The association between work and diabetic complications such as neuropathic pain, diabetic foot, psychological issues and hypoglycemia due to treatment is also examined. Evidence points to a relationship between diabetes and absenteeism, reduced work productivity, and, thus, overall work impairment. A stronger negative impact on work performance is mediated by painful diabetic neuropathy and diabetic foot. In addition, psychological distress has been positively correlated with total workdays lost and frequency of absence. Depression in the diabetic population has also been linked with increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and work disability. Moreover, hypoglycaemia induced by antidiabetic medication may affect work attendance and performance. Finally, diabetes has been associated with inequality in the work environment, lower job satisfaction and higher unemployment rates, mainly because of its complications.

Work engagement and organizational justice of nursing staff during COVID-19

During COVID-19 health crisis, the working conditions for nursing personnel in public hospitals were modified, nevertheless some factors remained present contributing to maintain their willingness to accomplish their duties. This article aims to analyze the effect of the pandemic on the Work Engagement and Organizational Justice of nursing staff in a public hospital. A quantitative correlational study that applied an online questionnaire to nursing personnel who remained active during the COVID-19 pandemic at a public hospital located in northwestern Mexico. In this study the 17-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale was used to assess Work Engagement, and the 40-item Colquitt scale was used to assess Organizational Justice. For test the differences between before and during the pandemic an ANOVA for repeated measurements or a t-Student test was used. A p-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. A SPSS v21 software was used for statistical calculations. During the pandemic, a slight decrease in the Work Engagement of the nursing staff, without changes in the Engajamento no Trabalho were observed. For staff with lower academic degrees, the decrease in Work Engagement was greater. In Work Engagement`s dimensions vigor and dedication decreased significantly; these dimensions decreased to a greater degree among nursing staff with a lower academic degree or a lower job status. The nursing staff showed few variations in their levels of Work Engagement and Organizational Justice during the COVID-19 health crisis, confirming what other authors have found about their high level of vocational sense. Also, the perception of nursing personnel regarding what is fair from managers remained despite the pandemic. The COVID pandemic had a mild effect on Work Engagement and Organizational Justice in nursing staff of a public hospital.

Unpacking the stress-satisfaction-Performance triangle in the it workforce

The booming Information Technology (IT) sector has led to high job stress due to intense workloads and technological changes worldwide. Examining the relationship between job stress, satisfaction, and performance is vital for employee well-being and productivity in IT industry. The primary objective of this research was to analyse how job stress and job satisfaction collectively impact job performance in IT sector employees of Delhi-NCR. IT professionals (n=255) working in service-based company from various roles and experience levels were recruited. Participants' perceived levels of job stress, job satisfaction, and job performance using validated scales. Through statistical analyses, it was observed that higher levels of job satisfaction will be associated with lower job stress and enhanced job performance. Conversely, elevated job stress is expected to correlate with decreased job satisfaction and diminished job performance. The demographic and work-related variables of the study added context to these findings by elucidating personal experiences, working conditions, communication, and contextual factors that may moderate these relationships. By exploring the multifaceted connections between job stress, job satisfaction, and job performance, this study provides a valuable insight that can inform evidence-based practices for fostering healthier and more productive work environments in the IT industry.

The association between leisure-time physical activity and cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and job strain-Study with a Northern Finland birth cohort of 1966.

Job strain is a major concern in the workplace. Work-related stress is an increasing challenge worldwide as it is the leading cause of long-term sickness absences, disability pensions and lower productivity. Rarely studied simultaneously, both leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and physical fitness (PF), which comprises cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF), may have potential in preventing and managing job strain. The current study aimed to investigate whether LTPA, CRF and MF predict perceived job strain. In addition, the study examines reverse associations, that is, whether job strain predicts LTPA, CRF and MF. We used longitudinal population-based data from a Northern Finland birth cohort of 1966 (n=5363) to analyse LTPA, CRF and MF as well as job strain and its components, job demands and job control, at age 31years (1997) and 46years (2012). Leisure-time physical activity was measured with a self-reported questionnaire whereas CRF and MF were measured as part of clinical examination. Linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data. In both men (n=2548) and women (n=2815), higher baseline MF predicted lower job strain and job demands 15years later. In women, higher baseline total LTPA predicted higher job demands, whereas in men, higher CRF predicted lower job strain and higher job control. These associations remained significant, also when adjusted for education and occupational status. In the analyses on reverse associations, higher job control and higher job demands were linked to higher leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total LTPA 15years later among both men and women, except for the association between job demands and total LTPA among women. These associations remained significant after adjustment for education and occupational status, except for the association of job control with MVPA and total LTPA among men. The association of higher job demands and total LTPA became significant in women. We conclude that LTPA and PF seem beneficial in preventing and managing job strain.

Interactions of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality with menopausal symptoms on job satisfaction among middle-aged health workers in England: a STROBE-based analysis

BackgroundThis study examined the association between menopausal symptoms and job satisfaction, and ascertained whether three psychosomatic factors (e.g., anxiety, depression, and sleep quality) interact with menopausal symptoms on job satisfaction.MethodsA cross-sectional design with sensitivity analysis was adopted. The participants of the study were clinical health workers in England. Data from 154 health workers were analyzed with the hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis.ResultsThere was a negative association between menopausal symptoms and job satisfaction (β = −0.38; t = −4.81, p < 0.001), but this relationship became non-significant after adjusting for work stress, self-reported health, job tenure, and resilience at work. An interaction between menopausal symptoms and the psychosomatic factors was found. The strength of the negative association between menopausal symptoms and job satisfaction was weakened by sleep quality (β = 0.05; t = 0.48; p > 0.05) but was strengthened by anxiety (β = −0.22; t = −2.28; p < 0.05) and depression (β = −0.24; t = −2.16; p < 0.05).ConclusionMenopausal symptoms can be directly associated with lower job satisfaction and indirectly associated with lower job satisfaction through its interaction with depression and anxiety. Menopausal symptoms can weaken the positive association between sleep quality and job satisfaction.

Public health care staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison of job demands and work functioning between temporary and permanent staff

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic posed an enormous challenge on the public health workforce, leading to the hiring of much temporary staff. Temporary staff may experience poorer working conditions compared to permanent staff. From a public health perspective, we need to know how working conditions are experienced when there is an acute pressure on recruiting sufficient public health care staff. This study aimed to investigate differences in job demands and work functioning between temporary and permanent public health care staff, during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands and compare it with available pre-pandemic data from the general working population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included temporary (n = 193) and permanent (n = 98) public health care staff from a municipal health care service in the north of the Netherlands. The participants completed a questionnaire with items about quantitative, cognitive, emotional demands (Copenhagen PsychoSOcial Questionnaire, COPSOQ, range 1-100) and work functioning (Work Role Functioning Questionnaire, WRFQ, range 1-100). The participants’ scores were compared to the general working population and differences between temporary and permanent staff were investigated using linear regression analysis. In addition, explorative analyses were conducted with temporary staff stratified by task and permanent staff by department.ResultsPermanent staff had relatively high scores on job demands compared to the general working population, whereas temporary staff had relatively low scores. On work functioning, permanent staff had similar scores as the general working population and temporary staff had better scores. Compared to permanent staff, temporary staff had lower, i.e. better, scores on quantitative (regression coefficient (B)=-26.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -30.8 to -22.5), cognitive (B=-24.4; 95% CI -29.0 to -19.9), and emotional demands (B=-11.8; 95% CI -16.0 to -7.7), and better scores on work functioning (B = 7.8; 95% CI 4.5 to 11.3).ConclusionsTemporary staff experienced lower job demands and reported better work functioning than permanent staff. The acute expansion of the public health workforce did not seem to negatively impact the job demands and work functioning of temporary public health care staff.

Locus Of Control and Job Satisfaction: A Comparative Study Between Male and Female Employees in It Sector Bangalore

The level of job satisfaction is one of the key pushing factors for improving employee productivity and efficiency in every organization. On the other hand job stress is pulling factor of job satisfaction, productivity and efficiency in the long run. Therefore, two are two extreme variables result into two opposite outcomes However, levels of job stress and job satisfaction varies as per the personalities of employees such as internal and external personalities and gender wise. The present study emphasized on the understanding the relationship between job stress, job satisfaction and work locus of control and variation between genders and type of locus of control among the 150 selected IT professionals in Bangalore. The outcome of the study evidence that, internal locus of control leads to higher job satisfaction of the employees in IT sector irrespective of gender variation and external locus of control causes lower job satisfaction. There is existence of negative correlation between job stress and external locus of control on job satisfaction. Besides, the study found insignificant variation in workplace stress, job satisfaction, and work locus of control. The study also observed high job satisfaction of the employees in IT sector with regarding to promotion, supervision, nature of work and support from colleagues and dissatisfaction regarding remuneration and operating conditions.

Considering Race in Teacher Well-Being

Despite evidence that teachers’ professional experiences are racialized, few studies have quantitatively examined possible racial disparities in teachers’ job satisfaction. Using data from a nationally representative survey of teachers in the United States, we find that Black teachers report significantly lower job satisfaction than their White colleagues. Moreover, we find that teacher perceptions of school safety are the primary predictor of this gap in job satisfaction. We argue that centralizing race and racialized experiences in consideration of teacher job satisfaction will open new sites of inquiry in educational research and can guide educational policy to promote equity in K–12 schools.

Weight in the Workplace: Weight Discrimination Impacts Professional Outcomes as a Function of Social Pain Minimization

AbstractWorkplace weight discrimination is pervasive and harms both individuals and organizations. However, despite its negative effects on employees and employers, the social and psychological processes linking weight discrimination and workplace outcomes remain unclear. Rooted in evidence that people regularly dehumanize and dismiss the emotions of heavier individuals, the current work tests one socioemotional pathway linking workplace weight discrimination and professional outcomes: social pain minimization (SPM). SPM refers to feelings of emotion invalidation when people share negative social experiences with others and feel their hurts are discounted and dismissed by their colleagues. Across two studies using cross-sectional and prospective designs (Ntotal = 661), the current work provides evidence that workplace weight discrimination increased feelings of SPM, which in turn was associated with greater burnout, lower job satisfaction, and more counterproductive work behaviors. In the wake of workplace weight discrimination, subsequent SPM negatively affects workplace outcomes. For those experiencing workplace weight discrimination, mistreatment and invalidation frequently operate as a one-two punch to critical organizational outcomes.

Factors influencing job stress in pediatric nurses during the pandemic period: Focusing on fatigue, pediatric nurse-parent partnership.

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing pediatric nurses'job stress, including their level of fatigue and partnerships with the parents of patients. This investigation aimed to findings of this study may lead to the development of strategies to reduce pediatric nurse's job stress. Participants were recruited from pediatric, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care units across seven general hospitals. Eligibility requiresa minimum of 6 months of experience in pediatric nursing. The sample size was determined using the G*power program, considering various variables, including age, marital status, presence of children, and work-related characteristics, leading to a final sample size of 135, adjusted for a 10% dropout rate. Data collection was conducted through self-report questionnaires, and analysis involved frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-tests, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression, using SPSS Statistics 27.0. This study confirmed a significant correlation between pediatric nurses'fatigue and job stress, with higher levels of fatigue associated with increased job stress. Stepwise regression analysis showed that fatigue and age were significant predictors of job stress among pediatric nurses, explaining 23% of the variance. However, detailed analysis showed that younger nurses had lower job stress scores compared to older nurses. This result suggests that more experienced nurses may experience higher job stress due to increased responsibilities and emotional burdens. This study identified the need for effective strategies to manage fatigue and reduce job stress among pediatric nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Younger nurses, particularly those under 25 and between 26 and 30 years old, experience lower job stress compared to older nurses. Comprehensive support systems should be developed, including workload management, emotional support, and programs to enhance partnerships between nurses and parents. These strategies can improve job satisfaction and the quality of care provided to young patients. Additionally, they ensure a more resilient and effective healthcare workforce during pandemics and similar crises.

Development and Psychometric Analysis of the Physician and Nurse Brain Drain Attitude Scale.

Background and Purpose: The Physician and Nurse Brain Drain Attitude Scale measures healthcare professionals' attitudes toward brain drain, which affects healthcare systems in developing countries. Methods: The scale was developed using the methodologies proposed by Timothy R. Hinkin and Robert F. DeVellis, including qualitative research, expert evaluations, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, with a sample of physicians and nurses from İzmir, Türkiye. Results: The scale comprises two factors: push and pull factors, demonstrating high reliability and confirmed validity through statistical tests indicating good fit and discriminant validity. Negative attitudes toward brain drain were linked to lower job satisfaction. Conclusions: This validated scale provides a crucial tool for understanding healthcare professionals' perspectives on migration and its contributing factors.