Workers In Organizations Research Articles

Prospects for Personnel Training for the Forestry Sector in the Regions of Russia: Arctic Context

Introduction. The development and enhancement of the management efficiency of the forestry sector in the Macroregion of the Northwest and the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation are strategically significant for the country's development, oriented towards global competitiveness. The aim of this study is to analyze the prospects for personnel training within the system of secondary vocational education for the forestry sector in the Northwest and Arctic zones of the Russian Federation. Materials and Methods. The materials for the study were statistical data from two forms of state federal reporting for 2022: No. 1-T (prof) "Information on the number and demand for workers in organizations by professional groups" and form No. SPO-1 "Information about the educational organization that carries out educational activities in educational programs of secondary vocational education." The study employed methods of descriptive statistics, economic-mathematical modeling, and comparative data analysis. Results of the Study. An extended list of 23 directions and specialties of secondary vocational education organizations training qualified personnel for the forestry complex in the Arctic Macroregion and Northwest Russia has been identified. An assessment of the provision of the economy of enterprises and organizations in the forestry sector with qualified personnel has been presented. The analysis revealed 12 entities in the macroregion whose personnel needs for mid-level specialists can be met by graduates from their own region, as well as 13 entities in the macroregion that need to train their personnel beyond the macroregion in other regions of Russia to meet the demand for qualified workers and employees. A mapping tool has been developed, comprising 85 subjects of the Russian Federation, divided into three groups based on the total admission to specialties and directions related to the forestry sector. Discussion and Conclusion. The mapping tool obtained demonstrates that the regions with the highest preparation of forestry specialists are located far from the Arctic zone and Northwest Russia. Meanwhile, the main forest resources of the macroregion's entities are unevenly distributed across their territories, concentrated mainly in the central and southern parts. The proposed mapping tool contributes to addressing the issues of personnel training for the forestry sector through the involvement of all interested actors: applicants, employers, secondary vocational education organizations, and regional executive authorities.

Relationship of Conflict Management on Employees’ Performance in a Private Sector Organisation in Nepal

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ways in which approaches for resolving disagreements influence the performance of workers in private sector organisations. The following strategies for conflict resolution were taken into consideration: competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating. With the descriptive survey design, the questionnaire that was prepared by the researcher was utilised. Both the Employee Performance Questionnaire and the Conflict Management Strategies that were tagged were utilised in the process of data collecting. According to the findings of the studies, techniques for conflict management have a major influence on the performance of employees. As a result, it was recommended that, in order to enhance the productivity of workers at their place of employment, disagreements of any kind should be skillfully managed rather than ignored. Individuals working at all levels of the organisation should be provided with the right behavioural guidance and training on how to handle conflict. Supervisors are required to get continual training on how to settle disagreements in order to bring about an increase in the productivity of workers while they are on the job.

Strengthening collective action: Role of social capital in motivating third-sector workers

This study highlights the importance of social capital within third sector organizations, as in other sectors of the economy, and confirms the influence of social capital on human capital. In this case, it contributes to the analysis of the structure and quality of relationships among members of a social organization, which enables motivation and commitment to collective action. Based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, from a 45-item survey applied to 190 workers in social organizations; the constructs were reconfigured for the construction of the model of organizational social capital, was carried out using the structural equation methodology. It is argued that the cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital affect its relational dimension in terms of identification, trust and cooperation, which in turn influences worker motivation and other key aspects of human capital. The relational dimension, measured by workers’ identification, trust, and cooperation, has significant effects on their motivation and work engagement, which leads to important practical considerations for human resource policies in these organizations. The article contributes to the existing literature on human capital management by exploring the perception of workers in nonprofit organizations that are part of Ecuador’s third sector.

IMPACT OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS ON PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MODERN ORGANIZATIONS

Communications and the communication process have a significant impact on organizational development and modern management. This impact is decisive and requires an analysis of the internal and external factors that can affect the success of the organization. The purpose of the development is to emphasize the possibilities for personal improvement through the effects of the communication process and the construction of basic and specific communication skills among workers in modern organizations. The main tasks that are logically related to the set goal and follow from it are: to highlight the essence of personal development through communication in organizations; to emphasize the importance of general factors related to personality development; to identify the basic communication skills favoring personal development in modern organizations. Through effective communication, leaders can convey their visions and strategies to employees, inspiring and motivating them. Also, through open dialogue and exchange of ideas, a better understanding of strategic goals and methods is created. The basic methods used in the development are qualitative, namely - philosophical analysis, synthesis of new theory and analysis of concepts and definitions. From the quantitative methods, the literature review was used. The main results, based on the analyzes already made, show that personal development, strategic thinking and communication in organizations are essential for managing change and adapting to a changing environment. A basic conclusion can be drawn that clear and open communication helps employees to adapt more quickly to new strategies and actively participate in overall organizational development. The main recommendation is the need to take into account the influence of strategic thinking and organizational communications on modern and increasingly dynamically developing organizations. These influences are undoubtedly positive as they contribute to better management, achievement of strategic goals, growth and fruitful cooperation. The additional data that can be indicated in connection with the issues already considered are aimed at the positive identification and presentation of the personality, by means of improving various useful skills such as the formation of digital literacy and culture.

Assessing the rescue capabilities of administrative agencies and estimating the scale of rescue team dispatch in the event of tsunami disasters

We propose a method to estimate the rescue team size that should be deployed from outside affected municipalities and thus clarify the success or failure of the rescue response of administrative agencies in the event of a tsunami. Capacity of Rescue was used to quantitatively evaluate the lifesaving capability of each rescue team; Index of Rescue was defined to evaluate whether the number of rescue workers in administrative organizations was sufficient for the number of people in need of rescue in the event of a tsunami. The proposed method was applied to a simulation of the coastal area of the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. Results indicated that the rescue capabilities of the police and fire departments would be limited by the tsunami in the event of an earthquake exceeding M8.2, and thus require assistance from the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). Estimating a reasonable scale of rescue team dispatch, an M8.7 earthquake with an evacuation rate of 90 % can be handled by dispatching 40,000 SDF personnel within 72 h, whereas a 70 % evacuation rate would require 230,000 personnel, exceeding the scale of the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami. Considering the uncertainty of the occurrence of an earthquake, an evaluation based on the expected value resulted in 35,000 people. This is a more realistic result when considering the total number of personnel in the SDF. The methods and attempts proposed in this study can contribute to disaster relief planning by reducing the burden on the rescue teams.

Behavioral health treatment delivery by social workers in accountable care organizations

ABSTRACT Nearly half of Traditional Medicare beneficiaries receive their care through an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), in which provider groups are subject to healthcare cost and quality benchmarks for a defined patient population. Although the skills of the social work profession align with the goals of these contracts (coordination of service needs across multiple health and social care settings), there is little information on social worker inclusion as behavioral health providers in ACOs. We developed and administered a national survey of organizations (n = 227) with Medicare and Medicaid ACO contracts to provide an estimate of the percentage of ACOs that reported social worker-delivered behavioral health treatment. Approximately half of the respondents reported that social workers delivered mental health treatment, while a third reported that social workers delivered substance use treatment. Organizations that included specialty mental health treatment facilities were more likely to report social worker-delivered mental health and substance use treatment. Organizations that included rural healthcare facilities were less likely to report social worker-delivered substance use treatment. By describing the prevalence and predictors of social worker-delivered behavioral health treatment in ACOs, this study contributes foundational estimates for future research on the role of this important workforce in ACOs.

Factors That Contribute to Everyday Violence among Women Pursuing Livelihoods in Mathare Slums, Kenya

Life in most slums is riddled with insecurity, which plays a big role in determining the nature of livelihood engagements women in the area engage in. The insecurity leads to many incidences of violence, the majority of which go unreported and are normalized as part and parcel of the slum life. Residents in these slums must earn their livelihood. The majority opt to adopt relevant survival tactics to deal with the violence in their endeavor to earn their livelihoods. The assaults, evident through a myriad of 'everyday violence' incidences, get normalized. The study sought to establish the factors that contribute to everyday violence among women pursuing livelihoods in Mathare slums. The study was guided by the social exclusion theory, which explains how, because of everyday violence, women experience exclusion from participating in socio-economic activities within the communities. Purposive sampling was used to identify three villages out of the thirteen in the Mathare Slums for study. Data was collected from 381 women through questionnaires and focus group discussions. This was supplemented with key informant interviews with target key informants: police officers, administrative chiefs, non-governmental organization (NGO) workers, and microfinance organization staff. The collected data was both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative data gathered narratives and experiences of participants, while quantitative data depicted how widespread insecurity was felt by women who pursue livelihoods in these slum spaces. Findings from the study indicate that women pursuing livelihoods in Mathare slums have normalized violence as they engage in their daily activities. Given that they have very little time to engage in livelihood opportunities after spending the bulk of it in domestic work and childcare, the women accommodate several incidences of violence in order to earn their living. The study recommends that the national government, with the support of NGOs, should develop community programmes to help women in childcare have adequate time for meaningful earning of livelihood outside the home. This would reduce their need to normalize violence in pursuit of livelihoods.

How NGO Staff Understand Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and MHPSS Pyramid in Iraq: A Pilot Descriptive Study.

The Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Maslow's pyramid) and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) pyramid are integral frameworks in humanitarian settings whose aim is to address individual and community needs. However, confusion often arises among non-governmental organization (NGO) workers about the application and differentiation of these models. This study aims to investigate the extent of confusion among NGO workers in Iraq as regards the Maslow's and MHPSS pyramids, identify the causes of this confusion, and explore its implications in the context of humanitarian mental health support. A pilot descriptive study was conducted in December 2023 through an online survey involving 61 local NGO workers from MHPSS components in Iraq. We created a measure to assess the participants' familiarity with both models, their perceived differences, and their views on the models' applicability in humanitarian contexts. Male participants represented 55.7% (n=34) of the sample, while females accounted for 44.3% (n=27). Most participants were aged 25-34 (57%, n=35) and 35-44 (34%, n=21). A majority held bachelor's degrees (67.2%, n=41), with 21.3% (n=13) holding master's degrees. In terms of occupation, 49.2% (n=30) were engaged in the protection sector (gender-based violence and child protection), followed by health (19.7%, n=12), education (4.9%, n=3), and MHPSS staff roles in other sectors (26.2%, n=16). The study revealed that 54.1% (n=33) of the participants struggled to understand or differentiate between Maslow's and MHPSS pyramids. The causes of this confusion were related to perceived structural similarities (18.03%, n=11), lack of awareness and knowledge about the MHPSS pyramid (63.93%, n=39), and a combination of both (18.03%, n=11). The study underscores the importance of better training and education for NGO workers to improve their understanding of the Maslow's and MHPSS pyramids. Addressing this knowledge gap can increase efficacy in humanitarian aid provision, ensuring that individual and community needs are adequately met in crisis situations.

The effect of age on musculoskeletal injury compensation costs in South Australian professional urban firefighters: A cohort study.

Firefighting is recognised as a physically demanding occupation involving exposure to hazardous environments and activities. An aging workforce combined with the age-related decline in physical fitness may result in increased future workers' compensation expenditure for fire service organisations. The objective of this research was to investigate the costs associated with musculoskeletal sprain and strain injury and the impacts of age and injury location on Workers' Compensation claims submitted by professional urban firefighters. Claim rates, direct costs, and days lost were extracted from a professional Fire Service organisation's workers' compensation claim database for financial years between 2011 to 2018. The mean cost per claim increased with age, with a mean claim cost of the 60-70-year-old group over 10 times more than the 20-29-year-old group. The mean days lost per claim were also higher for claims submitted by firefighters aged over 50. Older firefighters miss more workdays when injured and are associated with increased claims costs, particularly those in the 60-70-year group. With an aging workforce, Fire Service organisations must implement appropriate management and prevention strategies to reduce the potential risks associated with an aging workforce.

Enhancing resilience to climate events: A multi-capital approach in social work

Climate events have been identified as issues of global concern due to their devastating impacts. Social work seeks to reduce inequalities and promote empowerment to achieve the welfare of individuals and communities. It is, therefore, one of the key professions in reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience to natural hazards. This study explores how social work could enhance individuals’ resilience to climate events through employing the multi-capital approach. This qualitative study uses 43 semi-structured interviews with social workers, non-governmental organisation workers, religious leaders, and service users in Oman. After analysing their experiences thematically, the data indicate that risk is differentially distributed between and within communities. Climate events may affect two communities differently and even people within the same community differently. Based on the concepts of vulnerability and resilience, the impacts of climate events and individual responses would vary based on their capital levels. The findings also indicate that the multi-capital approach can be used as a guiding approach that assists social workers in identifying both strong and low capital and working to strengthen them. Interestingly, although the multi-capital approach does not consider spiritual capital, the findings illustrate that every aspect of human nature must be linked to God in Islamic societies and stresses faith and stability. Some implications for policy, practice, and education have been outlined, such as developing social work curricula by considering the modification proposed to the multi-capital approach. Moreover, integrating spiritual capital into disaster resilience frameworks is crucial for holistic policy development.

Family model diabetes self-management education and support in faith-based organizations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands: A study protocol

IntroductionThe Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is an independent nation and a member of the United States (US) Affiliated Pacific Islands through a Compact of Free Association. Health disparities in the RMI are striking, with high rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The International Diabetes Federation has documented age-adjusted prevalence of T2DM at 23.0 %, compared to the US (13.2 %) and globally (9.8 %). T2DM has a devastating impact on patients and their families. MethodsThe purpose of this article is to present the study protocol for the fully powered two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial using a wait-list control to evaluate the effectiveness of a Family Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (Family DSMES) program when delivered in a group setting by community health workers (CHWs) in faith-based organizations (FBOs) in the RMI. The study used a community engaged approach, and the study protocol includes adaptations based on the results of our one-arm pilot study. SummaryThis study will provide new and innovative information on the effectiveness of Family DSMES delivered in a group setting by CHWs in FBOs in the RMI. The knowledge gained from this research will inform DSMES interventions conducted with Marshallese and other Pacific Islander communities, as well as DSMES interventions conducted in other low-resource countries.

The Effect of Financial Literacy, Attitudes Towards Money, and Financial Pressure on the Financial Well-being of Non-Profit Organization Workers in Indonesia

This study explores the influence of financial literacy, attitudes towards money, and financial pressures on the financial well-being of non-profit workers in Indonesia, an issue that is relevant given the high social activity but lack of attention to the financial well-being of workers, especially with the majority of them being low-income. Using the purposive sampling method on 108 respondents from various regions in Indonesia, the study's findings showed that financial literacy had a significant positive influence on financial well-being. In contrast, attitudes towards money had no significant effect. On the other hand, financial stress significantly negatively influences the financial well-being of workers of nonprofit organizations. These results emphasize the importance of efforts to improve financial literacy and pay attention to financial pressures in improving the financial well-being of non-profit workers in Indonesia.

Dietary Differences by Job Type and Industry Among Workers in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced people to change their lifestyles. We examined dietary differences by job type and industry among workers during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted using data an internet survey. Job type and industry were classified into 3 and 22 groups, respectively. Dietary behaviors were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis nested in the workplace prefecture was conducted. Workers involved in jobs that required communication with people were more likely to skip breakfast (odds ratio [OR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.24) and had a lower meal frequency (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.17-1.34) than workers engaged in desk work. Manual workers were more likely to eat fast food or meals (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03-1.17) than were those engaged in desk work. Workers in the newspaper, magazine, television, radio, advertising, and other mass media industries were more likely to skip breakfast (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.82-3.24) and have a lower meal frequency (OR: 3.90, 95% CI: 2.87-5.28) than workers in public offices and organizations. These results were partially consistent with trends reported before the pandemic. Further studies should be conducted to clarify the causes of differences in dietary behavior among workers.

The organizational legal issues related to implementation of social care of persons involved into medical care support during COVID-19

The article considers main problems related to implementation of social protection of persons involved in medical care support during COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study is to identify organizational legal problems in implementing social protection of persons involved in medical care support during COVID-19. The normative legal acts of the Russian Federation, the WHO documents, official data of Minzdrav of Russia, information from portals of "Stopcoronavirus.rf", Constitutional Court of Russia, Inquiry Committee of Russia, office of Public Prosecutor of Russia and Trade Union of medical workers of Russia were analyzed. The study used as its methodology the dialectical method of cognition of social legal phenomena. The logical analysis, system analysis and comparative jurisprudence analysis were applied too. The analysis of national legislation, court decisions, information from official websites of the President of the Russian Federation, executive authorities (state reports on sanitary epidemiological well-being of population of the Russian Federation in 2020-2023) demonstrated that in 2020-2023 additional social guarantees were provided for workers of medical organizations, including additional social payments. Unfortunately, complicacy of establishing diagnosis, misinterpretation of clinical norms, lacking of explanations at instant of novels occurrence resulted in emergence of complaints of workers of medical organizations.

Experiences managing behavioral symptoms among Latino caregivers of Latino older adults with dementia and memory problems: a qualitative study

BackgroundLatinos are more likely than non-Latino Whites to develop dementia and be prescribed antipsychotics for dementia-related behavioral symptoms. Antipsychotics have significant risks yet are often overprescribed. Our understanding of how Latino caregivers of Latino older adults living with dementia perceive and address behavioral issues is limited, impeding our ability to address the root causes of antipsychotic overprescribing.MethodsWe interviewed Latino older adults’ caregivers and community-based organization workers serving older adults with cognitive impairment (key informants), focusing on the management of behavioral symptoms and experiences with health services.ResultsWe interviewed 8 caregivers and 2 key informants. Caregivers were the spouses, children, or grandchildren of the older adult living with cognitive impairment; their ages ranged from 30 to 95. We identified three categories of how caregivers learned about, managed, and coped with behavioral symptoms: caregivers often faced shortcomings with dementia care in the medical system, receiving limited guidance and support; caregivers found community organizations and senior day centers to be lifelines, as they received relevant, timely advice and support, caregivers often devised their own creative strategies to manage behavioral symptoms.ConclusionIn-depth interviews suggest that the healthcare system is failing to provide support for behavioral symptoms from dementia; caregivers of Latino older adults rely on community organizations instead.

The role of cultural organisations in matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion

ABSTRACT Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues are relevant to all areas of society, including the cultural sector, which is characterised by systemic discrimination. Our research question is: how do artists and cultural workers perceive the role of cultural organisations in addressing EDI issues in the Canadian cultural sector? We conducted 65 semi-structured interviews with Canadian artists and cultural organisation workers to investigate this question. Our results show the difference in perception between artists and cultural organisation workers, particularly regarding grant programmes that promote equity, the role of education, and of cultural organisations. All agree on the importance of promoting EDI in the cultural sector. However, artists and cultural organisation workers sometimes have different ideas about how EDI can be promoted. Results point to better EDI training for workers in cultural organisations, more long-term funding for EDI projects, better communication of EDI initiatives, and better sharing of best practices among organisations.

‘To be a Player, not a Piece’: LMX-Relationships in Late-career Employment

This study employs qualitative interviews with employees (50+) and managers from Norwegian private companies to investigate how retirement age norms affect leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships in the late stages of employment.This research reveals that organizational practices incentivizing early retirement establish retirement age norms and create pressures that significantly impact the LMX dynamic. Employees perceive managers as key in alleviating these pressures. However, the ability of managers to shield employees from retirement pressures varies, as managers face several competing challenges, such as providing opportunities and development for younger employees. While high-quality LMX relationships are crucial in reducing retirement pressures for older employees, differing managerial practices lead to varied support levels within the same organization, putting older employees in precarious positions. The article advocates for policy reforms that limit organizational early retirement practices and promote extended working lives, ensuring a more supportive employment environment for aging workers in private organizations.

Assessment Norms Development of the Subjective Work Environment Battery “B-SWE” for Chilean Organizations

The objective of this research was to generate evaluation norms for the scores of the Subjective Work Environment Battery "B-SWE" from a base of 1,413 valid response protocols of workers belonging to 11 complex organizations in the central-south region of Chile. The B-SWE seeks to identify and analyze the subjective factors of work climate, understood as the result of the interrelation of the dimensions of organizational climate and culture, professional burnout, psychosomatic symptomatology, and coping strategies in specific socio-occupational contexts, which reflect the human dimension of the productive processes of an organization. Scales were obtained according to administrative dependency (public or private) and gender. The B-SWE comprises 136 Likert-type items with a five-option scaling, presenting adequate evidence of internal structure in the Chilean context. The results showed the existence of "differentiating dimensions" according to gender and dependency of the organizations, from which centile norms are constructed for the raw scores of the 15 dimensions of the B-SWE. Once the norms were obtained, differentiated and specific interpretations were presented for each dimension. In conclusion, the workers in public organizations showed higher levels of Organizational Trust, Job Satisfaction, Reflective Action, and Personal Fulfillment. In contrast, female workers presented higher levels of Affective Seeking, Spiritual Support, and Psychosomatic Symptoms and lower levels of Affective Hardening.

Labor unions, work contexts, and workers’ access to work–family policies

Abstract Unions serve as primary labor market institutions that improve employees’ working conditions, yet existing literature offers mixed results of their influence on workers’ access to work–family policies. This may be partially due to the extant literature having not considered possible variation across work contexts. In this study, I ask whether union coverage can increase workers’ access to work–family policies and examine how family-friendly work contexts—public sector organizations and female-dominated occupations—can modify these union effects in the United States. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97 (2000–2017) and individual-fixed effect models, I analyze the impact of transitioning from a nonunion worker to a union-represented worker on the worker’s access to three work–family policies: paid parental leave, schedule control, and paid sick/vacation days. Results show that changing from a nonunion position to a union-represented one increases workers’ access to paid parental leave and paid sick/vacation days but decreases access to schedule control. The findings also show that workers in public sector organizations and female-dominated occupations tend to experience outsized benefits of union coverage on access to longer paid sick/vacation days. These findings suggest that the advantages of union coverage in workers’ access to work–family policies may be influenced by gendered work contexts.

Accompany caregivers to optimize learning with people living with a major neurocognitive disorder: A participatory action research

ABSTRACT For caregivers of people living with major neurocognitive disorders (MNCD), adapting and applying methods optimizing learning (MOL) to a specific situation, based on preserved cognitive skills, can be challenging. This study aimed to 1) co-develop workshops, a web application and accompanying materials to support the operationalization of MOL; 2) better understand the factors influencing caregivers’ use of MOL, and 3) evaluate the perceived effects of the workshops. A participatory action research study was conducted in collaboration with family caregivers of people living with MNCD and healthcare and community organization workers (HCOW). Qualitative questionnaires and interviews were conducted and transcribed in verbatim. Thematic content analysis was conducted. Workshops and accompanying materials were co-developed and continuously improved based on conceptual framework and feedback from the participants. The final version of the workshops consisted of seven two-hour sessions structured around the type of cognitive deficits affecting the realization of activities. Facilitators (e.g. help to identify the person’s capabilities) and barriers (e.g. fluctuation of MNCD symptoms) for caregivers’ use of the MOL were reported. The identification of the cause of reactive behavioral expressions could be challenging for some family caregivers, reducing the use of MOL. Caregivers mentioned their increased preparedness to support and relationship with the person living with MNCD and feeling of competence for analyzing the reactive behavioral expressions and to use MOL. This participatory action research has shown that caregivers can acquire abilities to adapt and apply MOL in specific situations with people living with MNCD.