Organizational Perceptions Research Articles

Psychosocial Workloads and Resilience of Heads of Municipal Public Health Authorities in Germany During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceptions of Operational Organization, Communication, and Measures

Healthcare professionals are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues during epidemics, as evidenced by the COVID-19 crisis. German public health authorities, crucial for disease prevention, faced significant strain from chronic understaffing and resource limitations exacerbated by the pandemic. The study was designed as a cross-sectional, observational online survey. This study conducted an online needs assessment survey among heads of municipal public health authorities in Thuringia, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, and Berlin between June and November 2023. Of the 191 contacted authorities, 74 responses (38.7%) were analyzed, focusing on professional demands, recognition, stress resilience, general life satisfaction, operational organization, and communication during the pandemic. Validated scales such as ERI, RS-13, L-1, and the COVID-19 add-on module of the COPSOQ were utilized. Statistical tests included descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, Chi-Square tests, linear regression, T-tests, and ANOVA with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Respondents were mainly from North Rhine-Westphalia (43.3%) and Bavaria (24.3%), predominantly female (54.1%), and had a mean age of 52.7 years. The majority were medical specialists (71.9%). The RS-13 mean score was 72.66 (SD = 12.42), with 58.9% demonstrating high stress resilience. Public health degree holders showed the highest resilience. The ER-ratio indicated high effort versus reward for 96.7% of heads. Larger districts showed lower ER-ratios, suggesting resilient organizational structures. The study highlights high psychosocial workload and resilience among German public health authority heads during COVID-19, suggesting the need for optimized crisis management and scalable staffing for future pandemics and crises.

A phenomenological study of women’s everyday lived experiences and perceptions in science research organizations in India

There has been a significant paucity of representation of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) on a worldwide scale. Women are more likely to be at a disadvantage than men due to the existence of gender prejudices as well as other social and cultural variables. This tendency is also present in India. Feminist scholars within the Science, Technology, and Society field have conducted thorough examinations of the gender component, despite their relatively small representation. This study aims to examine the challenges faced by female scientists in higher education institutions in India to comprehend these issues. It employs a phenomenological approach, using primary data to investigate how female scientists perceive their day-to-day lives and the world around them, and it focuses on the perceptions and experiences of these women. The study finds that women who work in STEMM fields face a wide variety of challenges and roadblocks both on the personal and professional front. In addition, it highlights certain attitudes that have a negative impact on women working in the field of science, such as the rationalization of institutional prejudices and unwillingness to recognize discrimination. It concludes with a few policy implications.

Local contour features contribute to figure-ground segregation in monkey V4 neural populations and human perception

Figure-ground (FG) segregation is a crucial step towards the recognition of objects in natural scenes. Gestalt psychologists have emphasized the importance of contour features in perception of FG. Recent electrophysiological studies have identified a neural population in V4 that shows FG-dependent modulation (FG neurons). However, whether the contour features contribute to the modulation of the response patterns of the neural population remains unclear. In the present study, we quantified the contour features associated with Gestalt factors in local natural stimuli and examined whether salient contour-features evoked reliable perceptual and neural responses by analyzing response consistency (stability) across trials. The results showed the tendency that the more salient contour-features evoked the greater consistencies in the perceptual FG judgments and population-based neural responses in FG determination; a greater partial correlation for curvature and weaker correlations for closure and parallelism. Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that the perceptual consistency depended similarly on curvature and closure, and the neural consistency depended significantly on curvature but weakly on closure. We further observed a strong correlation between the consistencies in the perceptual and neural responses, i.e., stimuli that evoked more stable percepts tended to evoke more stable neural responses. These results indicate that local contour-features modulate the responses of the neural population in V4 and contribute to the perception of FG organization.

A quasi-experimental evaluation of RADAR: response awareness, de-escalation, and referral for people with behavioral health issues

ABSTRACT This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of RADAR (Response Awareness, De-Escalation, and Referral), a hybrid CIT/co-response program for people with behavioral health issues (PBHI). RADAR emphasized information sharing between police, PBHI, and behavioral health professionals and targeted outreach to PBHI by a police officer and clinician working in partnership. We evaluated RADAR using a quasi-experimental analysis of calls for service and incident data, an officer survey, and interviews with key personnel. While RADAR did not significantly reduce calls, incidents, or physical contact and resistance relative to a comparison jurisdiction, the survey and interviews suggest that it did help to shift the department’s culture and organizational perceptions around collaborative responses to PBHI. The practical implications of our findings for police agencies seeking to implement co-responder programs include the need to focus on sustainability; relationship building between the police, PBHI, and clinicians; and technological solutions to improve data collection and evaluation efforts.

Patient Safety and Perception of Quality in University Dental Hospitals: A French National Survey

Objectives Patient safety is poorly developed in dentistry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of patient safety perception and quality culture in French university dental hospitals. Methods A national survey was performed using a questionnaire that was sent electronically to dental students, teachers, senior professionals, and paramedics of the university dental clinics that volunteered to participate. The profile of the respondents, their involvement in quality teams, the occurrence of adverse events, and the organization of the department were explored. Results Of the 17 university dental hospitals in France, 15 volunteered to participate, representing 681 respondents (65.9% students, 26.9% dentists, 3.7% paramedics, and 3.5% residents). Despite 58% of the respondents being aware of the procedure for declaring adverse events, only 28% of them had ever declared at least one. All professionals were aware of the high incidence of adverse events in their clinics. The perception of well-being and organization was low, especially for the items “adequation between tasks and number of professionals” and for “task organization.” The perception of “team spirit and feeling of respect” was good. Conclusions The survey highlighted the need for courses and meetings on patient safety and quality, but also the good perception of dental care providers regarding patient safety. The lack of materials and of human resources emerged as a key point for improving patient safety in university dental hospitals. Nonetheless, communication was also perceived as very important and could be improved without incurring costs and through internal solutions.

How much do family‐supportive supervisor behaviours matter? A meta‐analysis based on the ability‐motivation‐opportunity framework

AbstractFamily‐supportive supervisor behaviours (FSSB) and their association with employees' work, family, and health outcomes have been widely investigated in workplace contexts. We aimed to acquire a comprehensive understanding of whether FSSB have valuable associations with work, family, and health outcomes and to investigate how FSSB are related to these outcomes using 126 independent samples retrieved from 122 articles (N = 59,068). Our findings revealed several outcomes. First, the bivariate results demonstrated that FSSB were significantly associated with essential work, family, and health outcomes. Second, FSSB exerted beneficial incremental effects on task performance, burnout, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction beyond coworker support, flexible work arrangements, and family‐supportive organizational perceptions, providing further support for its discriminant validity. Third, we built an integrative model that uses ability‐motivation‐opportunity as our organizational framework. Our findings demonstrate that FSSB are significantly associated with employees' work and health outcomes through self‐efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and autonomy. Intrinsic motivation exerts the largest mean indirect effect, followed by self‐efficacy and autonomy. Based on these findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for future research.

The model‐sizing dilemma: The use of varied female model sizes helps the impressions of brand values but hurts shopping ease

AbstractConsumer demand for size‐inclusive fashion is growing, including the call for clothing to be modeled in larger sizes. This call has prompted brands to decide how to model their clothing, in particular, on category pages (i.e., webpages where consumers compare different items). Should brands use varied model sizing, where clothing is presented using models of various sizes? Or should brands use traditionally thin models who are the same nonvaried model size? This research explores female consumers' responses to varied model sizing. Across five studies, we demonstrate a model‐sizing dilemma where female consumers rate impressions of brand values higher but rate shopping ease lower when brands use varied rather than nonvaried model sizing. We show the decrease in shopping ease is driven by lower perceptions of organization during the shopping experience. Importantly, we find that this dilemma can be mitigated by displaying varied model sizing in a more organized manner using hover and filter features.

Perceptions of organization, job attitudes, challenges, and solutions among medical school administrative staff.

Staff is essential to the university's efficient administrative operations, which are critical for education, research, and service. Medical schools, often independent, need specialized administrative elements. This study explores how medical school staff perceives the organization using the Six-Box model and evaluates their perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment based on the concept of job attitudes. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data via a convergent parallel design. It simultaneously collects and analyzes data from a survey and consensus workshop for medical school staff. The survey data were statistically analyzed (IBM SPSS ver. 25.0; IBM Corp., USA), and the workshop discussions were subjected to content analysis. The findings combined provide a comprehensive understanding of the medical school administrative system. Quantitative analysis revealed purpose (3.80) as the highest-rated organizational perception and rewards (2.72) as the lowest. Similarly, job satisfaction was highest (3.63) in job attitudes, while perceived organizational support (2.96) was the lowest. Group differences were observed by gender, enrollment capacity, and contract type (p<0.05). In qualitative research, keywords appeared in relation to their experiences within the medical school organization, encompassing doctor training, emotional responses, administrative features, personal attributes, and cultural influences. Overload, faculty issues, and communication gaps are obstacles. Strategies for overcoming these challenges focus on improving staff treatment, resource allocation, training, and communication channels. This study was conducted to explore a broad understanding of the administration of medical schools. Findings suggest challenges with workload, communication, and organizational support. We propose a dedicated medical school administrative system, improved work conditions, and enhanced communication.

Does Organic Food Consumers’ Perception of Organisation CSR Matter: Evidence from Malaysia

This article aims to test whether organic food consumers’ perception of organisations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) matters by examining the specific attributes that consumers prioritise in gauging the corporate CSR of organisations manufacturing organic food products in Malaysia. A structured Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data from a total of 313 consumers utilising the survey method. Findings suggest that organisations should prioritise stakeholders’ interest through positive health benefits of organic food products, environmental commitment, product knowledge, trustworthy information and affordable prices rather than using CSR as a growth factor to promote quality and sustainability only. The study emphasises the role of the Malaysian government in enhancing the standards of organic food production and processing, which will motivate many companies to venture into organic farming and lead towards less reliance on imports of organic food. This will build up consumer trust and satisfaction towards organic produce. Lastly, there will be an increase in consumer trust and satisfaction towards organic produce as demand increases after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study is suitable for organic food manufacturers who intend to improve social image, stakeholder experience and value creation, which will help brand their products. The implications of this study are generalisable not only in Malaysia but worldwide since the world is moving towards the new normal, and precautionary measures to combat health issues are prioritised.

Organizational justice and employee acceptance of management decisions: the mediating role of perceived organizational adaptation to hindering external conditions

PurposePrevious research has demonstrated that the experience of fair treatment (organizational justice) motivates workers to accept their leaders’ decisions, even when these decisions are viewed as unfavorable. We aim at extending these findings by testing for mediating effects of the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization as a particular example of a hindering external condition. We expected that employees’ perception of management response to the pandemic would partly mediate the effect of organizational fairness on employee compliance.Design/methodology/approachIn Study 1 we surveyed a nationally representative (N = 1,001) sample of employees. In Study 2 we used a representative sample (N = 250) of those workers who were laid off during the pandemic.FindingsWe show that an organization’s perceived ability to adapt to the pandemic partly mediated the relationship between organizational justice and acceptance of management decisions. Employees who were treated fairly were more ready to accept management decisions and viewed their organization as better prepared for hindering external conditions such as COVID-19. Their perceptions of organization’s ability to adapt partly mediated the effect of organizational justice on decision acceptance.Originality/valueOur study is among the first to identify a link between organizational fairness and organizational adaptation. We show that employees perceive fair organizations as better prepared for external shocks.

Understanding crisis perception and organizational learning – A case study of school organizations in the COVID-19 pandemic

The research investigates the organizational dynamics of learning-in-crisis (LiC) in five Hungarian education institutions in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on digital competence building, and the influence of organizational perception of contextual factors. The path of organisation-level learning that takes place as a result of the crisis event was analysed along two factors: the extent of perceived impact and the relevance of the rare event. Results of the qualitative, interview- and observation-based research show that learning willingness is different in the face of an identical external impact, influenced by organizational and financial capacity, as well as autonomy and stakeholder maturity for change. The depth of learning is related to the strategic and cultural fit with the sought-after competence, as well as field of knowledge and the presence of parallel crises.

Does Socioeconomic Status Moderate the Relation Between Cultural Wording of Recruitment Information and Organizational Attraction?

Abstract: Strategies to increase socioeconomic status (SES) diversity within organizations have been given little attention. Research suggests that subtle characteristics of recruitment materials influence peoples’ perceptions of organizations. In this hybrid registered report, we examined whether SES moderates the relation between individualistic–collectivistic recruitment message wording and organizational attraction. Using a large sample ( N = 652), we found that people high in SES were more attracted to collectivistic-worded recruitment information than were people low in SES. People low in SES were more attracted to individualistic-worded recruitment information than collectivistic-worded recruitment information. The implications of our findings and directions for future research are discussed.

The Role of Ambivalent Identification on Service Recovery: A Study of the Hotel Industry

Service failure is common and inevitable due to the unique characteristics of services. It is essential for service organizations to carefully handle service failure and employ effective recovery strategies to maintain and improve customer satisfaction, especially when consumers experience mixed emotions towards the organization. However, most service failure and recovery literature focuses on how ambivalent identification works at the organizational level. Thus, this study extends the application of the social identity theory beyond organizational perception and focuses specifically on the consumer context, shedding light on its role in recovery justice and satisfaction. It explores the impact of failure severity and degree of correction on recovery justice, with ambivalent identification serving as the moderator in the hotel industry context. Findings from an intercept survey method indicate that the negative relationship between severity of failure and recovery justice weakens as ambivalent identification increases, while ambivalent identification strengthens the positive relationship between degree of correction and recovery justice. Moreover, ambivalent identification diminishes the positive impact of recovery justice on post-recovery satisfaction. This study provides the theoretical and practical implications related to service recovery for hotel management.

Https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJRE/2024/41125328 Enhancing Primary Education in Katsina Education Zone: Assessing the Impact of Donor Organizations on Teacher Training and Retraining

Primary education lays the foundation for a nation's development, fostering patriotism, fairness, and national unity among children aged 6 to 12. However, challenges such as inadequate funding, ineffective management, and low academic performance persist in Katsina Education Zone, Nigeria. This study investigates the impact of Donor Organizations, including UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank, on the provision of training and retraining for public primary school teachers in Katsina Education Zone. Through a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from 362 respondents, including teachers, administrators, and PTA officials. Findings indicate a positive perception of Donor Organizations' impact on teacher training, with mean scores above the decision mean. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in opinions across respondent groups. These findings underscore the importance of external support in addressing educational challenges and suggest decentralization of training selection processes for improved effectiveness. Keywords: Donor Organisations, Impact and School Administration.

Organizational and Individual Resources as Buffers of Work–Family Conflict Linkages to Affect: An Application of the Job Demands and Resources Health Impairment Model

Work–family conflict is a phenomenon known to affect an individual’s well-being. However, its affective consequences are yet to be explored. In this study, we focus on understanding work–family conflict affective consequences on positive and negative affect. Our approach aims to refine the Job Demands and Resources model (JD-R model) by incorporating affect as a psychological mechanism in the health-impairment process and by exploring family-supportive organizational perceptions and psychological detachment as moderators. The final sample was composed of 195 couples, with men’s mean age around 46 years old (M = 46.85, SD = 0.34) and women’s age around 44 (M = 44.23, SD = 0.37). Men worked an average of 44.46 h per week (SD = 0.83), while women worked an average of 39.79 h per week (SD = 0.65). The majority of couples had full-time jobs (77.9% of men and 73.8% of women), worked fixed schedules (55.4% of men and 73.8% of women), were employed by others (75% of men and 82.8% of women), and worked for small companies (54.6% of men and 40% of women). Concerning education, most of the men (81.3%) and women (71.4%) attended high school or had less than 12 years of education. To test our moderation models, PROCESS version 4.1st macro for SPSS was used. Additional analyses included correlations and paired mean comparisons. Our findings indicate that work–family conflict correlates positively with negative affect and negatively with positive affect. Psychological detachment moderated the effect of work–family conflict on negative affect for women, but did not moderate the relationship with positive affect for men or women. Family-supportive organizational perceptions also did not moderate any of the proposed relationships. This study highlights how the ability to detach and separate family and professional domains is important and supports the health-impairment process of the Job Demands and Resources model through affective experiences.

Patterns of Political Communication in Virtual Leadership in Political Parties After the COVID-19 Pandemic

After the COVID-19 pandemic, all sectors must still implement health protocols while continuing to work virtually to fulfill their obligations. The GERINDRA Party is one of the major parties in Indonesia that continues to carry out political communication to carry out its functions. The virtual leadership model and competitive organizational culture are applied in running an adequate organization. This research aims to analyze virtual leadership and competitive culture in post-pandemic organizations. The research method is carried out with bibliometric analysis which utilizes vos viewer software to conduct analysis and participatory research because the author is at the research location. The result is that virtual leadership is applied with several conditions, including leaders understanding the perceptions of members and organizations, leaders acting as the key to success, leaders being obliged to work remotely, leaders following the flow of globalization, and mastering ICT. Then the competitive organizational culture is applied with innovation, knowledge, collaboration, and target markets.

From cost control to cost management: How is the current state of the Italian context?

The change in markets' dynamics occurred during the last 50 years led to a signifi-cant transformation within the cost structure of companies, resulting in a gradual loss of cost control systems' effectiveness. This caused a progressive shift from cost control to cost management (CM), involving the use of innovative tools and approaches that provide more suitable cost allocation methods, cost computation logics, and allow to detect value-creating costs in order to support the decision-making process. The present work aims at exploring the current state of CM application in the Ital-ian context, identifying the main mechanisms implemented and the key percep-tions of organizations concerning the upsides, downsides and innovativeness of CM logics. The findings show that the level of CM diffusion has increased in the most recent years compared to the evidence of prior research, but most companies still don't use CM systems. Processes and activities-based approaches are increasingly ap-plied; however, besides traceable costing logics, the traditional full costing methods are still highly used. Companies benefited from the implementation of CM sys-tems, since they supply data that allow to understand which are the main causes of complexity, what costs really create value and facilitate participation in the de-cision-making process. However, the high quantity of resources required for the system's development and the resilience of people to the process of change still represent barriers that hinder the diffusion of CM. The main implication of the study is raising awareness about the importance of using suitable CM systems to evaluate costs as well as signaling the potential chal-lenges of their application. The twofold role of human resources in the process of CM innovation is explored.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Older Black and Hispanic Workers’ Perceptions of their Workplace

This study provides insight into how having COVID-19 shifted Black and older Hispanic adults’ organizational perceptions and experiences. We used data from 30 Black and Hispanic full-time men and women over the age of 45 who have had COVID-19, and most have co-occurring physical and mental chronic illness, to examine how having COVID-19 shapes their perceptions of their workplace and organizational interactions. We examine how older Black and Hispanic adults’ intersectional identities further shape their work experiences. Further, we illuminate how COVID-19-related enhanced safety protocols impacted these workers’ emotional and interpersonal experiences by increasing feelings of safety and support, while simultaneously widening relational gaps among coworkers and increasing mental health concerns. We end with workplace practice recommendations, centering an intersectional and Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach, to reduce work-related health and safety hazards with efforts to promote and improve the well-being of older Black and Hispanic workers.

What Patients Want in a Transgender Center: Building a Patient-Centered Program

Abstract: Gender affirmation is standard medical care, and community input is an essential component of patient-centered care. This study shares how our organization assessed patients' perceptions of health care organizations that provide gender-affirming care. Building on qualitative interview data, we distributed an online survey via a lesbian-gaybisexual-transgender-queer research firm. The survey was completed by 314 transgender individuals residing in 37 U.S. states and territories. Most respondents (69%) reported negative experiences seeking health care. Patients would travel long distances for competent providers and were more willing to seek care from an institution actively working to change a formerly negative reputation. Patients described high-quality organizations as prioritizing staff training (95.5%), having inclusive policies (93.3%), and hiring expert staff (86.0%). Programs should ensure cultural competency training for all staff. They should recruit and retain providers skilled in transgender medicine, especially trans-identified providers. Patient experience and reputation in the community influence where patients seek care.

Synergies and Challenges: Exploring Organizational Perspectives on Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development in the Context of Skills and Education

The discourse surrounding digital transformation (DT) and sustainable development (SD) is pervasive in contemporary business and organizational operations, with both processes considered indispensable for sustainability. The success or failure of these endeavors hinges significantly on factors such as the behavior and skill sets of individuals within organizations. Thus, the purpose of the paper is twofold: to investigate the perceptions of organizations on digital transformation and sustainable development with regards to skills and education, and, secondly, to use the insights from these perceptions as a starting point for the use of systems thinking as a tool that could assist in achieving these states. To achieve the objective, a research effort was conducted that included desktop research, interviews with experts, and the development of a survey that was disseminated across Europe with questions on digital transformation and sustainable development. Finally, a general causal loop diagram was designed, illustrating the processes of digital transformation and sustainable development within organizations from a top-down view. The study reveals commonalities between DT and SD, recognizing both processes as advantageous with shared deficiencies in specific skill sets. It highlights a synergistic relationship between initiating DT and fostering SD activities. Furthermore, the research underscores the temporal aspects of these processes, acknowledging delayed positive effects and immediate implementation costs that challenge decision-makers to balance long-term benefits with short-term viability. In conclusion, the exploration emphasizes the dynamic nature of DT and SD, urging continual attention to the evolving landscape and the imperative for a shared understanding within organizational contexts.