Occupational Background Research Articles

Meanings Attributed to Physical Activity and Changes in Self-Reported and Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity among Recent Retirees.

Retirement poses opportunities and challenges for maintaining and adopting physically active habits, which may have major implications for health and functional ability in later life. Qualitative studies suggest that a broad range of meanings of physical activity should be considered when promoting physical activity among retirees. The current study utilized the Physical Activity Relationship (PAR) approach to examine the importance of meanings attributed to physical activity and their associations with physical activity over time. A total of 230 recently retired participants (65.2 years old, 83% women) responded to a 54-item inventory assessing the importance of meanings attributed to physical activity at baseline. Eight meaning dimensions were identified through exploratory factor analysis. Differences in their importance across gender and occupational background were examined using t-tests and ANOVA. Associations between meaning dimensions and self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity over 12 months were examined with general linear models. Dimensions defined as Physical Fitness, Positive Mood, and Belonging were positively associated with changes in self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity. Additionally, the importance of several meaning dimensions varied across occupational background. In conclusion, physical activity promotion among retirees should focus on physical fitness, positive mood, and social belonging. Furthermore, meanings attributed to physical activity may vary across occupational backgrounds.

Research on the Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Patterns of Expressed Inferiority in Different Groups of Occupations and Education Stages

Inferiority is a complex emotion of helplessness and self-deprecation. A lack of timely and effective treatment may cause serious consequences to people who experience inferiority. People with different occupational and educational backgrounds display different patterns of inferiority. Due to privacy issues, individuals who experience inferiority are often reluctant to seek face-to-face help. However, they often spontaneously share their feelings on social media, so social media can provide a large number of data on inferiority. Based on the data from Sina Weibo, the largest social media in China, this study explores the groups that are most affected by inferiority and reveals the spatiotemporal patterns of inferiority groups with different occupational and educational backgrounds based on the data from Sina Weibo, the largest social media in China. In this study, the Weibo data on inferiority-related topics published in 288 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2017 were collected, and the geospatial locations of the posts were extracted. The spatial variation of inferiority was analyzed, and the influence of the inferiority of people in different occupations and at education stages was examined. The results show that science and technology personnel, college students, and manufacturing workers are the groups most strongly affected by inferiority, and the expressed inferiority in the three groups show significant spatiotemporal non-stationarity. Excessive evaluation pressure increases the rate of inferiority among researchers and technicians, and inferiority among college students is increasing every year. In most areas in China, the increase in the density of manufacturing employees increases the risk of inferiority among these individuals. The findings of this study can help relevant organizations to better understand the regional distribution of inferiority and provide references for these organizations to develop regional treatment interventions for inferiority.

Sociolinguistic Profile of Sherpa in Sikkim

The study is based on the primary data collected during 2017 and 2018 in Sikkim using the questionnaire designed by the Centre for Endangered Languages, Sikkim University. Information about number of speakers, language vitality, domains of usage and causes of language endangerment were collected from the consultants who were both male and female from age 26 to 85 years with various occupational background. The study found that though the Sherpa speakers are positive towards their language, it is quite worrisome about the sustainability of Sherpa language in practice.

Narrowing down dimensions of e-learning readiness in continuing vocational education - perspectives from the adult learner.

Although e-learning has become an important feature to promote learning experience, still little is known about the readiness of adult learners for e-learning in continuing vocational education. By exploring perceived challenges and benefits, it was our aim to identify dimensions that define e-learning readiness. Therefore, we conducted a study design with qualitative and quantitative components. It consisted of both, semi-structured interviews, as well as an online survey regarding biography, personality, learning behavior, and general attitudes toward e-learning. The continuing vocational education course that we were investigating comes from the field of project management. The learner group was heterogeneous regarding their biographical and occupational background. Our results suggest several dimensions of e-learning readiness which are namely: motivation, learning strategies/regulation, attitudes toward learning, and personality-associated aspects as well as digital literacy. These findings are in line with previous research to only some extent, but reveal the necessity to redefine single dimensions of e-learning readiness to develop an inventory that is generalizable for different adult learner groups. Based on these assumptions a new measure for e-learning readiness needs to be proposed in future research as a next step.

How to Get More People into Teaching? Comparing Undergraduates’ and Teacher Trainees’ Motivation and Perceptions of a Teaching Career

Understanding people’s perceptions of teaching as an occupation, and their motivation or otherwise to teach, can help identify which initiatives/policies are most promising in improving teacher recruitment. Previous studies have often sought only the views of teachers/teacher trainees to understand why people choose teaching as a career. Recruitment strategies based on evidence from such research are therefore only appealing to those who are already interested in teaching. It is the views of those who might otherwise have gone into teaching that can provide better clues to what we can do to get more people into teaching. This paper compares the views of 4469 undergraduate students and 788 trainee teachers in England. Our analysis goes beyond the usual approach by comparing young people completely uninterested in teaching, those who considered teaching but rejected it, those intending to be teachers, and those already in training. Our study found little or no difference between prospective teachers and others in terms of generic career drivers and the attraction of financial incentives, although prospective teachers tended to have lower levels of qualifications and to come from less prestigious occupational backgrounds. However, those not planning to be teachers are much less concerned about teachers’ workload, suggesting that this is probably not a great deterrent for those considering teaching. Compared to those who intend to be teachers, those who have considered but rejected teaching are less likely to view teaching as intellectually stimulating. They are least likely to see teaching as a high-status profession, offering good promotion prospects and job security. Policies to improve recruitment need to make teaching more attractive to the second group by addressing these issues. Additionally, these policies should be distinct from policies to retain existing teachers.

Workplace Mistreatment and Health Conditions Prior and during the COVID-19 in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: This study examined the relationship between workplace mistreatment, including discrimination, abuse, and overworking, and health problems among full-time workers prior to and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in South Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2017 and 2020–2021 Korean Working Conditions Surveys, including the final sample of 44,425 participants. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between workplace mistreatment and health problems among workers by gender. Interaction analysis was conducted to establish the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and health problems related to mistreatment. The occupational, demographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds were adjusted. Results: We found a significant association between workplace mistreatment and health problems, including headaches, eyestrain, and anxiety. The association increased after the COVID-19 pandemic: “discrimination” (men (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.93–2.65), women (OR 2.73, 95% CI 2.36–3.17)); abuse (men (OR 5.42, 95% CI 2.87–10.23), women (OR 4.70, 95% CI 3.12–7.08)); and overworking: men (OR 2.36, 95% CI 2.01–2.77), women (OR 3.52, 95% CI 2.68–4.61). The interaction indicates an increased incidence of people having health problems due to workplace mistreatment (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.06) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Statistically, employees who experience workplace mistreatment have worse health conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the job environment and increased the association between workplace mistreatment and health problems. To eliminate the health problems related to workplace mistreatment, it is necessary to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work and employee health conditions.

Socio-demographic and socio-economic dynamics underlying housing development of urban residents in Sebeta town, Ethiopia

Even though situational factors are predominantly determining the housing scenario of urban residents, individual factors are the most essential elements that play a vital role in the housing development of urban residents. The main objective of this study was to investigate socio-demographic and socio-economic factors that contributed to urban housing development in Sebeta town, Ethiopia. To achieve the research objective, the explanatory mixed-method sequential research design was employed where quantitative data were collected from 384 respondents who were randomly selected, whereas qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. Research findings confirmed that socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics were major determining factors of urban housing development. Socio-demographic and socio-economic dynamics associated with individual characteristics were found to cause variation in housing statuses among urban residents. This implies, in addition to structural challenges, individualistic factors of urban residents affect their housing choices. It was identified that differences in gender, migration status, ethnic background, income class, educational status, and occupational backgrounds were responsible factors for housing status discrepancy in the study area. The authors came up with the conclusion that socio-demographic and socio-economic factors are the most remarkable features, which determine the housing development of residents by accompanying structural factors. The authors would recommend that the housing development of urban residents needs the prerequisite of strengthening socio-demographic dynamism and socio-economic empowerment of the urban poor.

Education and Opportunity during the First World War. Post-compulsory Study at the Harris Institute, Preston, 1914–18

Abstract Education during the First World War is generally overlooked. Schooling was seriously undermined by the demands of war, and the principal educational measure to emerge from the war offered little recompense. Similarly, studies of education and opportunity in the early twentieth century pass quickly over the war years and the 1918 Education Act to focus on the inter-war period. This article argues that an important sector of education, that of part-time, post-compulsory vocational education, has not received due recognition as a factor during the war, and in studies of social mobility more broadly. Through a close analysis of student cohorts who attended the Harris Institute in Preston, we show that there were significant new opportunities arising during the war. Different kinds of students, notably younger people, women, and from poorer backgrounds, took advantage of the expanding opportunities. Combining details of students’ courses of study with evidence of their family and occupational backgrounds, gives insights into the aspirations of these working people to advance their careers, move into new sectors of work, or broaden their cultural horizons.

Predicting Research Productivity in STEM Faculty: The Role of Self-determined Motivation.

How are university faculty members in STEM disciplines motivated to conduct research, and how does motivation predict their success? The current study assessed how multiple types of self-determined motivation predict research productivity in a sample of 651 faculty from 10 US institutions. Using structural equation modeling, the basic psychological needs of autonomy and competence predicted autonomous motivation (enjoyment, value) that, in turn, was the strongest predictor of self-reported research productivity. Using negative binomial regression, autonomous motivation was the strongest predictor of faculty publications and citations, with a one-standard deviation increase in autonomous motivation (approximately a half response option on a 1–5 Likert scale) corresponding to an 11.63% increase in publications and a 22.57% increase in citations over a three-year period. Occupational and social-environmental background variables (e.g., research percentage on contract, career age, balance, collegiality), as well as controlled motivation (guilt, rewards), had comparatively limited predictive effects. These results are of relevance to higher education institutions aiming to support scholarly productivity in STEM faculty in identifying specific beneficial and detrimental aspects of faculty motivation that contribute to measurable gains in research activity.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation And Validation Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Quality Of Life Scale In Pashto.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation are important for the reliable use of a scale. This study was conducted to translate and validate the polycystic ovarian syndrome quality of life scale (PCOSQOL) in Pashto. This study was conducted in tertiary care teaching hospitals of Peshawar from August to December 2021 on 333 patients diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Using forward-backward method, three bilingual experts translated PCOSQOL from English to Pashto. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach alpha reliability and construct validity of PCOSQOL (Pashto version) was found out using SPSS version 25 and AMOS version 26 for data analysis. The mean age of the sample was 25.73±5.89 years. Majority were married (n=260, 78.1%), uneducated (n=180, 54.1%) and unemployed (n=303, 91%). Factorial validity of the Pashto version showed it to be a five-factor model. Regarding construct validity, the factor loading through Item total correlation scores revealed highly satisfactory correlation coefficients. The Cronbach's alpha reliability of the Pashto version of PCOSQOL was 0.918. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated a good fit model with a CFI of 0.91 and a RMSEA value of .08. Poor quality of life (89.98±28.5) was reported in 169 (50.8%) women and this was irrespective of their educational and occupational background (p>0.05) respectively. Pearson coefficient correlation test showed a significantly positive Inter-scale correlation (p<0.05). Pashto version of PCOSQOL is a reliable instrument to measure the quality of life in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and can be used in Pashto speaking patients.

Work resumption and retention in patients with advanced cancer: Experiences and perspectives of general and occupational health care professionals.

The objectives of this study were to explore the experiences and perspectives of general and occupational health care professionals regarding work resumption and work retention of patients with advanced cancer, and to identify barriers and facilitators these professionals may encounter. A qualitative design was applied, and individual semistructured interviews were conducted. General and occupational health care professionals were eligible to participate if they were involved in the work participation guidance of patients with advanced cancer, and were recruited through the network of the research team. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically via ATLAS.ti 9. Interviewees (N = 17) had various occupational backgrounds, for example, occupational physician, reintegration consultant, and general practitioner. Four main themes emerged from the data: (1) Assumptions and hesitations, (2) Patient initiates stakeholder communication, (3) Role dispersion: who is in charge of what? and (4) Experience with legislation creates opportunities. Whereas most interviewees had positive experiences with, and/or optimistic expectations of, the work resumption and work retention of patients with advanced cancer, several barriers to the work participation guidance of these patients were identified. Suggestions for improvement include creating widespread awareness of the possibility of work participation of patients with advanced cancer and developing reintegration guidelines for advanced cancer.

Audio-visual interaction and visitor characteristics affect perceived soundscape restorativeness: Case study in five parks in China

The capacity of urban parks to contribute to soundscape restorativeness, understood here as contributions to people’s recovery from attentional fatigue and reflection on life issues, is receiving increased interest in research and policy. However, scientific understanding of the influential mechanism of perceived soundscape restorativeness is still not clear. This paper aims to explore the effects of audio-visual interaction on perceived soundscape restorativeness (PSR) of urban parks, considering visitors of different social and demographic characteristics. The research design comprises a survey of 419 visitors to five urban parks in Fuzhou, China, general structure equation modeling, and multi-group model analysis. The results show a substantial dependence of visitors’ PSR values on respective perceptions of soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness, especially soundscape pleasantness. Visual landscape characteristics showed mediating effects on the influence of soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness on the perceived soundscape restorativeness (19.3 % and 28.3 % of the total effect, respectively). Age was the most influential social and demographic characteristic affecting the PSR, followed by gender, while occupation and educational background showed only limited effects. Future development of urban parks should strongly integrate soundscape design considerations to enhance positive PSR effects for visitors.

Right person for the right job: the impact of top management’s occupational background on Chinese enterprises’ R&D efficiency

The research on the influence of personal attributes of top management on a firm’s innovative behavior has recently gained much traction in the corporate finance literature. However little is known about the role of professional background of top management in influencing corporate R&D efficiency. The present research employs data of China’s A-share listed firms during the period of 2008–2016 to explore this association. Empirical outcomes reveal that top management with an R&D background significantly enhance Chinese firms’ R&D efficiency. Moreover, equity incentives for the core R&D team, lesser pay disparity between senior management and employees, and the appointment of directors with R&D background play a mediating role between R&D-savvy top management and firm’s innovation capacity. The study findings establish a link between top management’s human capital and an enterprise’s technological capability and show that adopting appropriate innovation strategies and R&D management practices is conducive to achieving the R&D efficiency in Chinese enterprises. Our results are robust to alternate econometric specifications and alternate variable specifications.

Thriving While Working Remotely: An fsQCA Application in Coworking Spaces

The present study investigates what drives thriving at work for remote workers in coworking spaces. Coworking spaces are flexible workspaces involving individuals from various occupational backgrounds that work in shared work environments that are usually deemed as vibrant and supportive. Coworking spaces reflect significant changes in economic activity due to the increase in digital and location-independent knowledge work. These changes have been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many companies relying on coworking alternatives for their employees who work remotely. Within this scenario, acknowledging the complexity and importance of coworking spaces, recent literature calls for a more fine-grained understanding of how coworking spaces help achieve positive psychological outcomes such as thriving at work (e.g., represented by a joint sense of vitality and learning at work). A greater understanding of what drives remote workers’ thriving in coworking spaces can help coworking providers and employing companies define work arrangements and environments that suit the different – and sometimes conflicting – needs, motives, and psychological experiences of remote workers. Acknowledging the complex set of interrelationships underlying thriving at work, this study leverages complexity theory and qualitative comparative analysis to uncover six different, yet equifinal, configurations of antecedents driving remote workers’ thriving in coworking spaces.

When Women Do “Men’s Work”: Hybrid Femininity and Within-Gender Inequality in Job Search

We introduce a novel theory of hybrid femininity, a mechanism by which women who engage in stereotypically masculine behaviors or activities gain status advantages relative to women without such experiences. We argue that external hiring managers evaluate women with career experiences in hypermasculine occupations more highly than women with career experiences in hyperfeminine occupations. This relative advantage is greatest when transitioning into a male-dominated occupation. Leveraging data from two online experiments (N = 3,003), we test and find strong support for our theory. External evaluators hiring for a male-dominated occupation award women candidates with hypermasculine occupational histories higher compensation than equally qualified women with hyperfeminine occupational histories. Evaluators also assess these “hybrid women” as more masculine, more competent, and better leaders than highly gender-congruent women candidates. These differences in perceived masculinity and status largely mediate the compensation award differences. A similar advantage for hybrid women is observed for job offers in a gender-neutral occupation. When moving into a female-dominated occupation, compensation differences are indistinguishable across women candidates, regardless of their gendered occupational backgrounds. Findings shed light on how gender inequality is maintained—even between women—through the privileging of masculinity over femininity, with important implications for labor markets and society at large.

Students’ Perception toward Vocabulary Mastery

The present study tries to identify the students’ perceptions toward vocabulary mastery of the literature students departments. There are 40 students who are recruited voluntarily to participate in the study. The students are actively learning students in the college. The instrument used in the present study is questionnaire. The use of questionnaire is to elicit the students’ perception on the vocabulary mastery and the other relevant factors affecting vocabulary mastery. The findings indicate that basically, the students have varied perceptions on the vocabulary taught to them. The finding also shows that the students prefer to learn vocabulary in context, for instance, the students can learn vocabulary while reading novel, short story, or the other reading materials, and not from the conversation, or listening material. The students are also found that they prefer to learn vocabulary, which are related to business, health, tourism, and technology. Lastly, they also prefer to learn vocabulary, which are closely related to their occupational background.

Differences in comprehending and acting on pandemic health risk information: a qualitative study using mental models

BackgroundA worldwide pandemic of a new and unknown virus is characterised by scientific uncertainty. However, despite this uncertainty, health authorities must still communicate complex health risk information to the public. The mental models approach to risk communication describes how people perceive and make decisions about complex risks, with the aim of identifying decision-relevant information that can be incorporated into risk communication interventions. This study explored how people use mental models to make sense of scientific information and apply it to their lives and behaviour in the context of COVID-19.MethodsThis qualitative study enrolled 15 male and female participants of different ages, with different levels of education and occupational backgrounds and from different geographical regions of Norway. The participants were interviewed individually, and the interview data were subjected to thematic analysis. The interview data were compared to a expert model of COVID-19 health risk communication based on online information from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Materials in the interview data not represented by expert model codes were coded inductively. The participants’ perceptions of and behaviours related to health risk information were analysed across three themes: virus transmission, risk mitigation and consequences of COVID-19.ResultsThe results indicate that people placed different meanings on the medical and scientific words used by experts to explain the pandemic (e.g., virus transmission and the reproduction number). While some people wanted to understand why certain behaviour and activities were considered high risk, others preferred simple, clear messages explaining what to do and how to protect themselves. Similarly, information about health consequences produced panic in some interviewees and awareness in others.ConclusionThere is no one-size-fits-all approach to public health risk communication. Empowering people with decision-relevant information necessitates targeted and balanced risk communication.

Analisis Faktor Dominan Penyebab Terjadinya Pembengkakan Biaya (Cost Overrun) pada Proyek Konstruksi Gedung Pemerintah Kategori Kecil di Kota Pekanbaru

In organizing building construction especially in Pekanbaru, cost factor is a mainly considered factor due to its relation with the great number of investment for owner. Therefore, project`s cost needs to be well-managed in order to minimalize the possibility of overrun cost. The purpose of this research was to discover the rate of validation, and to analyze the most dominant factor which has triggered the overrun cost case on small categorized government building construction project in Pekanbaru. Data collection was thoroughly done by deploying questioners to small contractors in the city of Pekanbaru. The number of samples in this research was 14 respondents. The profile of those respondents were grouped according to their gender, age, position in occupation, experience, and education background. The collected data were analyzed by using validation and reliability test, factor analysis, classic assumption test, and multiple linear regression. The data processing was done by using SPSS software (Statistical Product and Service Solution) version 24. As a result, it was obtained that the most dominant factor which has triggered the overrun cost case on small categorized government building construction project in Pekanbaru consisted of: planning and construction department i.e. handling too many projects at the same time with the percentage of 92,0%, resource coordination department i.e. lack of labours with the percentage of 86%, control department i.e. payment delays with the percentage of 63,2%

Finding the key to the black box of board diversity and firm performance: A mediating effect analysis of technological innovation.

A growing body of research has focused on the relationship between board diversity and firm performance. A series of empirical literatures have also examined a significant positive correlation between the two. But these results only demonstrate the relationship between the input of ‘diversity’ and the output of ‘firm performance’. Such research is more of a black box because board diversity must act on certain strategies or decisions to affect firm performance. Some scholars try theoretical analysis with the purpose of opening the black box. In order to verify the relevant theoretical analysis results, this study uses the mediating effect analysis model in the field of psychology, through multiple regression, impulse analysis, variance decomposition and other methods, to thus empirically test the mediating effect of technological innovation in the process of board diversification promoting corporate performance. We found that board diversity can improve firm performance by enhancing the level of technological innovation. Among them, technological innovation has played a complete mediating role in the diversity of board members’ functional and occupational background, and played a partial mediating role in the diversification of directors’ part-time jobs. Technological innovation is a key indicator bridging board diversity and firm performance. This study can explore and explain the inner workings of the significant relationship between board diversity and firm performance, and link research findings on similar phenomena. The research results may make the existing board governance theories more systematic, expand the extension of theoretical research, and provide some empirical research references for academics and practitioners.

Prevalence of Turkish Parent Refusal and Hesitance Rate and Its Associated Factors in Childhood Vaccination

The Rejection of childhood vaccination is still a major issue in many countries. The aim of the study was to assess prevalence of Turkish parent refusal and hesitance rate and its associated factors in Childhood vaccination. A crosssectional study was carried out at the General Pediatric Poly Clinic of Ankara Keçören Training and Research Hospital from January – to April 2020. Data was collected using a questionnaire via face to face interviews with parents. We included parents who have 6 months to 7 years old children, who visited the clinic during the study period and who accepted to join the study. A total of 809 mothers and 132 fathers participated in the survey. Among the parents, 1.2% of them refused the vaccination of their children and 4.8 % of them had incomplete vaccination of their children. More than half (67.4%) of the parents have a high level of knowledge about vaccines. knowledge level was statistically significantly different based on the participant’s occupation, income, education background and father’s age (P &lt;0.05). A majority (72.2%) of the participants had good attitudes toward childhood vaccination, there is no statistically significance based on their occupation, age, income and education background (P &gt; 0.05). Parents with one child had bad attitudes towards vaccines (35.4%). Keywords: Childhood vaccine; vaccine hesitance; vaccine rejection