Physical Working Conditions Research Articles

Effect of Physical Work Conditions on the Work Performance of Academic Staff in Private Universities in Kenya

The working conditions (physical and psychological) in an organization have key linkage with and work performance including academic institutions. The aim of this paper was to examine the effect of physical working conditions and performance of academic staff in private universities in Kenya. The study is informed by Fredrick Herzberg’s two factor theory on motivation of employees and work performance. The study research design is descriptive that incorporates quantitative and qualitative methods. The target population for this study involved academic staff of selected private universities in Kenya. Considering the target population was high, a sample size was chosen who were selected using stratified and purposive sampling technique. The data has been collected using questionnaire. Data analysis has been undertaken using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The study has found out that physical working conditions are a key determinant of employee performance in private universities in the country. Those universities with poor physical working conditions reported poor work performance amongst their academic staff compared to those that had conducive physical working conditions. The paper recommends that for private universities to remain competitive in the tertiary education sector, they have to ensure that the physical working conditions of school facilities are conducive for use by their members of staff. There is also need for the Commission for University Education in Kenya to regularly inspect universities physical infrastructure to ensure they are fit for use by both academic staff, non-academic staff and students. When all these recommendations are addressed, the academic staff productivity would significantly improve

Joint associations of psychological distress and working conditions with sickness absence in Finland

Abstract Background Psychological distress has increased remarkably, especially among younger age groups, during the last years. Both psychological distress and exposure to strenuous working conditions are known risk factors for sickness absence (SA). We examined whether psychological distress and working conditions are jointly associated with SA periods of 1-7 days and 8+ days among young and midlife Finnish employees. Methods We linked survey data from the Helsinki Health Study cohort from 2017 (response rate 51.5%) with the employer’s SA register for the City of Helsinki, Finland (82% consented to the linkage; n = 3949, 80% women, age 19-39 years). Mean follow-up time was 2.1 years. We calculated rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for SA periods of 1-7 days and 8+ days using negative binomial regression models among participants with and without psychological distress, and with and without exposure to strenuous working conditions. Psychological distress was measured with the emotional wellbeing subscale of RAND-36 (cut-off 60 points). Working conditions included physical and mental strenuousness of work and hours per day spent in heavy physical work. Results Participants with psychological distress and exposure to strenuous working conditions had the highest age- and gender-adjusted RRs for SA periods of ≥ 8 days (physically strenuous work: RR: 2.38, CI: 1.97-2.88; mentally strenuous work: RR: 2.08, CI: 1.72-2.53; ≥3 h per day spent in physical work: RR: 2.48, CI: 2.01-3.06), the interactions being additive. The associations were weaker for SA periods of 1-7 days. Adjusting for marital and employment status, education, alcohol use, smoking and body mass index only slightly attenuated these associations. Conclusions Psychological distress and exposure to strenuous working conditions were additively associated with SA. Both individual- and workplace-related risk factors for SA are important to be considered when planning preventive actions. Key messages • Young and early midlife Finnish employees with simultaneous psychological distress and exposure to strenuous working conditions had the highest rates of SA periods, the interactions being additive. • Both psychological distress and exposure to strenuous physical and mental working conditions should be considered when planning preventive actions to reduce employees’ SA.

The International Spinal Cord Injury Survey in Iran (InSCI-IR)

Background and Aim: Spinal cord injury patients are faced with many neglected side effects that threaten the health, wealth, and life of the patients and their families. For this purpose, the international spinal cord injury survey (InSCI) was conducted in 2017 by adding 22 countries to follow up the patients facing spinal cord injury. Iran as a developing country was added to the survey in 2022 focusing on the catastrophic health expenditures of spinal cord injury patients. The survey is named: The International spinal cord injury survey in Iran (InSCI -IR). Methods and Materials/Patients: This study will be performed in Guilan Province, Iran and the primary data of the patients will be gathered from the Poursina Hospital of Rasht and the Iranian National Registry of Spinal Cord Injury Patients. InSCI-IR contains two parts; the general questionnaire which gathers the data for the InSCI and the specific questionnaire which gathers data for calculating catastrophic expenditures. Results: It is estimated that 600 patients will participate in the study and more than 200 cases are faced with paraplegia or tetraplegia. The international questionnaire contains 11 sections on the living situation of patients with SCI, sociodemographic questions, injury characteristics, mental and physical health, feeling and work conditions, environmental factors, and access to health services. The catastrophic expenditure part contains questions about the cost of treatment, medication, caregiving, transportation, and household income loss related to spinal cord injury, wealth index, and household total income. Both parts will be edited in psychometrics processes.

Socioeconomic differences in limited lung function: a cross-sectional study of middle-aged and older adults in Germany

BackgroundLimited lung function represents a serious health impairment. However, studies investigating social inequalities in limited lung function are rare. Thus, the current study investigates which socioeconomic groups are the most affected by overall limited lung function and severely limited lung function.MethodsData from the population-based German Aging Survey were used (N = 4472), with participants being 40 + years old. Lung function was assessed by the peak flow test. Education, income, and occupational prestige were used as socioeconomic indicators.ResultsWe found that overall limited lung function was highly prevalent across the whole sample, with about 33% (Women: 35%; Men: 30%) having overall limited lung function and 8% (Women: 7%; Men: 8%) having severely limited lung function. Socioeconomic differences in limited lung function emerged for all three indicators, education, income, and occupational prestige, in both men and women in single effect analyses. These differences persisted for occupational prestige and income when controlling for all indicators simultaneously.ConclusionsThus, overall and severely limited lung function are highly prevalent health conditions. Men and women with a low occupational position and those with low income are the most affected. Socioeconomic indicators cannot be used interchangeably when studying health inequalities in lung functioning. Occupational hazards and physical working conditions are likely to constitute major risks of health inequalities in limited lung functioning and should be investigated as such by future studies.

Feeling like an untapped resource. Experiences of working life among nurses with ADHD and/or autism: An interview study

BackgroundADHD and autism are common and increasing neurodevelopmental disorders in the world and also occur among nurses. However, almost nothing is known about nurses with these diagnoses. To promote high-quality care provision and well-being in the nursing workforce, it is important to discover more about these nurses. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to describe how nurses with ADHD and/or autism experience their working life. MethodsThe study was descriptive in design. Nurses were invited via Swedish Facebook groups targeting nurses. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 17 nurses with ADHD and/or autism, online or by telephone. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsOne overarching theme and seven subthemes emerged from the analysis. The theme “feeling like an untapped resource” reflected the subthemes: 1) Being passionate about one's job, 2) having strengths and talents to use in working life, 3) a stressful and disturbing work environment inhibits personal strengths, 4) managers show goodwill but lack knowledge and resources, 5) feeling appreciated but socially different among colleagues, 6) using a variety of strategies to facilitate working life and 7) toward an uncertain future. ConclusionNurses with ADHD and/or autism experience having abilities and talents that are useful in the nursing profession. However, they feel that the physical and organizational working conditions and lack of managerial support entail challenges that prevent them from making optimal use of their strengths.

PREDICTIVE MODELLING FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT OF HEALTHCARE EMPLOYEES

The healthcare sector and healthcare professionals were essential during the COVID-19 epidemic. There is an enormous need for workers in the healthcare sector due to the necessity of industry. Professionals in this field must endure a great deal of pressure at work due to irregular hours and demanding schedules. The goal of this study is to evaluate the stress levels and stress management strategies of healthcare workers. This study focuses on a number of factors, including the age, gender, and marital status of the employees as well as physical working conditions, timely deadlines, co-worker cooperation, individual health issues, working conditions, improved compensation and training for job performance, and cooperation within the family. How they are employing methods that reduce stress to manage their stress.

Physical working conditions over time: a repeated cross-sectional study in German employees

BackgroundThis study aimed to examine time trends in physical working conditions across and within occupational groups in Germany between 2006 and 2018.MethodsLogistic regression analyses were conducted using data from the BIBB/BAuA Employment Surveys in 2006, 2012, and 2018, with a total sample size of 59,006 participants. The study investigated changes in various self-reported occupational exposure measures over time, along with demographic shifts in the workforce.ResultsThe results showed overall improvements in most occupational exposure measures during the study period, alongside an aging and upskilling workforce. However, exposure to awkward postures, microorganisms, and, to a lesser extent, noise increased. Substantial variation was observed between occupational groups, with more favourable trends among white-collar high-skilled and blue-collar low-skilled workers, and less favourable trends among white-collar low-skilled and blue-collar high-skilled workers.ConclusionsWhile trends in physical working conditions in Germany are partly promising, some exposures are worsening, and substantial inequalities between occupations persist. As occupational exposures remain common, there is still a need for targeted interventions to improve working conditions, particularly in higher-risk occupations.

Optimalisasi Kepuasan Kerja Karyawan Berbasis Lingkungan Kerja Fisik dan Keselamatan Kerja di Bagian Produksi PT YXZ Subang

Companies can strive to increase employee job satisfaction to achieve conditions that encourage optimal development and improvement of employee abilities. Work environment and safety in the workplace are some of the factors that affect employee job satisfaction. The attendance rate in the Production Department of PT YXZ continues to increase. This is due to poor physical working conditions and a lack of attention to occupational safety. The purpose of this study is to partially and simultaneously determine the effect of the physical work environment and work safety on employee job satisfaction in the production department of PT YXZ. The research method used is a quantitative method with data analysis using multiple regression analysis assisted by SPSS version 26. The data collection technique used was a questionnaire with 33 respondents, all employees of the Production Department YXZ. The results of this study show that the physical work environment partially affects employee job satisfaction, and work safety does not affect employee job satisfaction. While simultaneously the physical work environment and work safety affect employee job satisfaction, Employee satisfaction will increase with a good physical work environment and good work safety

UPAYA MENINGKATKAN MOTIVASI KERJA PADA KARYAWAN HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT DI ASTON BATAM HOTEL & RESIDENCE

This research will discuss efforts that can be taken by the management of Aston Batam Hotel & Residence to increase the work motivation of housekeeping staff in terms of quality and results. This research will involve identifying factors that influence housekeeping staff motivation, as well as developing strategies and policies that can increase their motivation. By understanding the dynamics of housekeeping motivation and work at Aston Batam Hotel & Residence, this research is expected to provide valuable insights for hotel management and the hospitality industry in general in their efforts to achieve higher service quality and maintain competitiveness in an increasingly competitive market. The research method used for this research is qualitative data and is described narratively. In this research, data collection techniques were used in the form of interviews, documentation, observation and triangulation. From the results of research at Aston Hotel & Residence, the author can draw the conclusion that the work motivation given to Room Attendant employees at Aston Hotel & Residence cannot be said to be optimal. Because there are still several things that must be considered, such as working environment conditions, effective communication, and physical working conditions

The impact of working conditions on commitment of academic employees: A socio-affective perspective

Academic employees face declining working conditions that may reduce the level of commitment to resource-constrained public higher education institutions. The purpose of the study is to examine whether strong social interactions at work affect academic employee commitment amid a poor state of physical working conditions in under-resourced public higher education institutions. A cross-sectional survey obtained data from 63 academic employees across six faculties at a large, under-resourced public higher education institution located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Academic employees taught many under-prepared students, primarily from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, using limited physical resources. The linear regression (r = –.0.52, CR = 3.21, p = < .001) results showed that stable social interactions were associated with high employee commitment in resource-constrained institutions. Academic employees remain highly committed to the institution despite the poor physical working conditions. The study extends the affective perspective by showing that employees build regular social interactions to remain highly committed and overlook limited access to physical workplace resources. Leaders ought to create regular social interaction opportunities between employees to foster high employee commitment amid inadequate physical working conditions.

Infinite-Horizon Degradation Control Based on Optimization of Degradation-Aware Cost Function

Controlling machine degradation enhances the accuracy of the remaining-useful-life estimation and offers the ability to control failure type and time. In order to achieve optimal degradation control, the system controller must be cognizant of the consequences of its actions by considering the degradation each action imposes on the system. This article presents a method for designing cost-aware controllers for linear systems, to increase system reliability and availability through degradation control. The proposed framework enables learning independent of the system’s physical structure and working conditions, enabling controllers to choose actions that reduce system degradation while increasing system lifetime. To this end, the cost of each controller’s action is calculated based on its effect on the state of health. A mathematical structure is proposed, to incorporate these costs into the cost function of the linear–quadratic controller, allowing for optimal feedback for degradation control. A simulation validates the proposed method, demonstrating that the optimal-control method based on the proposed cost function outperforms the linear–quadratic regulator in several ways.

POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND RISK FACTORS OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN THE FOUNDRY INDUSTRY X

Background: Workers have a risk of work accidents and Occupational Diseases (PAK) caused by the work process, behavior at work, and the work environment. Identification of potential hazards and risk assessment is the first step to find hazards in the workplace and then carry out control measures to create a safe and healthy workplace.
 Objective: Knowing potential hazards, environmental risk values, and physical working conditions in the Metal Casting Industry of X.
 Method: The method used in this study is a descriptive survey. The number of samples in this study were 36 workers. Data collection techniques are carried out through observation activities using sheetsJob Safety Analysis (JSA) and risk assessment sheets, interviews using interview guides, and measurements of physical working conditions usingenvironment meter. The data analysis carried out is descriptive analysis which provides an overview of potential hazards and environmental risk values.
 Results: Overall there are 54 potential hazards in the production process at CV Dwi Jaya Logam which consist of a wet mold making process, there are 12 potential hazards, dry mold making CO method2 there are 10 potential hazards, metal smelting has 20 potential hazards, pouring molten metal into the mold has 6 potential hazards, and disassembling the mold has 6 potential hazards. There are 28 potential hazards in the production process at CV Mulya Jaya consisting of grinding there are 6 potential hazards, cutting iron using a saw machine there are 2 potential hazards, drilling there are 6 potential hazards, turning there are 4 potential hazards, making holes using machinesscrap there are 3 potential hazards, the formation of workpieces using machinesmilling there are 2 potential hazards, welding has 3 potential hazards, and product painting has 2 potential hazards. Overall, the physical working environment conditions in the form of temperature and lighting at CV Dwi Jaya Logam and CV Mulya Jaya did not meet the requirements, while the results of noise measurements at the two locations met the requirements.
 Conclusion: Potential hazards found in the metal casting industry CV Dwi Jaya Logam, namely 54 potential hazards which are divided into 2 levels of risklow, 10 levels of riskmoderate, 30 levels of risk high, and 12 levels of riskextreme. CV Mulya Jaya Metal casting industry identified 28 potential hazards divided into 4 risk levelslow, 4 levels of riskmoderate, 12 levels of risk high, and 8 levels of riskextreme. These potential hazards come from the physical work environment (temperature, lighting, and noise) and the production process at each work step. The results of measurements of the physical working environment in the form of temperature do not meet the requirements according to the Regulation of the Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia No. 5 of 2018, the average lighting measurement results are also . do not meet the requirements according to Regulation of the Minister of Health No. 70 of 2016, and the average noise measurement results meet the requirements according to the Indonesian Minister of Manpower Regulation No. 5 of 2018.

Comprehensive evaluation of the impact of workplace exposures on physician-certified sick leave in the general working population

BackgroundOur objective was to quantify the prospective associations between work factors across chemical, physical, mechanical, and psychosocial domains and the onset of medically certified sick leave.MethodsEligible respondents were interviewed in 2009, 2013, or 2016 and were registered in the national sick leave register with an employee relationship lasting more than 50 working days during the year of the survey interviews and the following year (n = 15,294 observations). To focus on the onset of high-level sick leave (HLSL; >16 days a year), we excluded individuals with HLSL during the survey year (baseline). We then used mixed-effect logistic regression models to assess prospective associations between self-reported work conditions and the occurrence of doctor-certified HLSL in the following year.ResultsThe average occurrence of HLSL was 13.1%. After adjusting for sex, age, level of education, chronic health problems, and smoking, we observed an exposure-response relationship between cumulative exposure to work factors within all domains and the occurrence of HLSL. When evaluating the impact of combined exposures, predicted odds ratios (OR) for employees exposed to 1, 2, and 3 or more work factors within all domains were 1.60 (95%CI 1.32 − 1.94), 2.56 (95%CI 1.73 − 3.74) and 4.09 (95%CI 2.28 − 7.25), compared to those not exposed.ConclusionsThe results support the notion that exposure to multiple work factors in various domains, including psychosocial, mechanical, chemical, and physical work conditions, is associated with an increased risk of high-level sick leave. Employers and occupational health professionals should consider the joint impact of these domains when designing interventions.

Are trajectories of self-rated health and physical working capacity during the retirement transition predicted by work-related factors and social class?

Abstract We aimed to identify short and long-term trajectories of self-rated health (SRH) and physical working capacity during the retirement transition, and investigate whether work-related factors and social class predict belonging to these trajectories. We used the representative, biennial Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) 2006–2018. We applied group-based trajectory modeling with B-spline smoothers to model trajectories of SRH (n = 2,183) and physical working capacity (n = 2,152) during the retirement transition. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate trajectory belonging by work-related factors and social class. There was a small “honeymoon effect” in SRH for the total sample. We found four trajectories of SRH and five of physical working capacity. The large majority sustained excellent or good SRH and physical working capacity throughout the study period. Almost 6% had Fairly poor SRH and physical working capacity starting from years before retirement, which remained throughout the study period. High job demands, low job control, adverse physical working conditions, and being in manual occupation increased the likelihood of belonging to the trajectory groups Deteriorating or Fairly poor when compared with the Excellent trajectory group for both SRH and physical working capacity. Our findings suggest that for most people health status is already established some years’ preretirement and maintained for years after retirement, except a short improvement in SRH in accordance with a honeymoon effect. In order to improve health and employability, interventions focusing on working environment should be aimed at younger and midlife employees as well as older workers.

Ergonomic Evaluation of Human–Robot Collaborative Order Picking: A Combined Laboratory and Simulation Study

Thanks to rapid technological developments in robotics, various automation technologies are being applied in warehouses today. Order picking, as a key process in warehouse operations, has drawn attention in academia and practice for decades. In addition to many studies dedicated to manual and fully automated order picking, efforts have also been made to study semi-automated warehouses in which humans and robots collaborate. However, these studies mostly focused on system efficiency and ignored ergonomic aspects. Order picking was confirmed as a labor-intensive process in an environment in which workers are at a high risk of developing health problems. Therefore, this study addresses the investigation of physical human working conditions in both manual and robot-assisted order picking systems via real-life laboratory experiments and simulation modeling. We used a motion capture system to assess human working postures when working with and without robot assistance. In addition, we estimated the daily workload by applying the energy expenditure concept. Using simulation experiments, we were able to extend the results to various practical scenarios with different design variables, for example warehouse layouts, order sizes, and human-robot team configuration. Our preliminary results reveal that human-robot collaboration can reduce human workload. Posture evaluation also shows a slight improvement.

Career Perception on Banking Industry among Management Undergraduates

Career perception especially among management graduates is a vital phenomenon that is under exploration among academics. However, no previous research has been done on exploring this phenomenon in Sri Lankan context. Thus, addressing the knowledge gap in the literature, the main purpose of this study is to identify the significant factors determining career perception on banking industry among state university management undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Based on the extant literature four independent variables namely social status, physical working conditions, financial benefits, career growth were identified to address the research question of the study. The sample was derived from 152 third and final year management students from university of Ruhuna. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the necessary data. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The study found that social status, physical working conditions, and financial benefits are significant factors explain the career perception on banking industry among respondents. These findings particularly would be beneficial to undergraduates and career counseling institutions as well as for the society at large.

Job satisfaction of teachers of the Electronic Engineering career in a Public Higher Education Institution

In the present investigation, the level of satisfaction that exists between the base academic personnel and the honorary personnel who are working as teachers in the electronic engineering career in a Public Higher Education Institution was determined. Using a descriptive study, using the descriptive transectional design and applying a data collection instrument created from the Job Satisfaction Scale proposed by Warr, Cook and Wall (1979). On the scale, the intrinsic factors that were considered are: freedom to choose one's own work method, recognition obtained for a job well done, assigned responsibility, the possibility of using one's own abilities, possibilities of promotion, contract conditions and the variety of tasks. that are done at work. Regarding extrinsic factors, there were: physical conditions of work, coworkers, immediate superior, salary, relations between management and workers in the company, management, work hours and job stability. The participating population was 22 people, which represents the entire academic plant that is in the study program. The results showed that the fee-based staff is satisfied in 69% with the intrinsic factors and 57% with the extrinsic ones; while those of base are satisfied 49% for the first and 24% for the second.

Missing voices: Office space discontent as a driving force in employee hybrid work preferences

AbstractThis paper draws on rich qualitative and survey data to show that employee discontent with office space is a major driving force in employee hybrid‐work preferences. Despite voice marginalisation, employees wish to take advantage of increased control over their physical working conditions and the locus of work that hybrid work has unexpectedly brought in their working lives. Taking cues from the literature on employee voice, this paper suggests that employee missing or silenced voices can be conceptualised as latent: hidden but potentially influential and inactive but potentially triggered by shifts in the labour market conditions or other external to organisations changes. The paper also brings attention to empirical academic studies as an employee voice mechanism.

Investigating job Burnout determinants influencing teaching employees in private educational institutions

Job Burnout among the teaching employees in private educational institutions has become a big issue in today’s scenario. Job stress, job satisfaction, hectic time schedule, work life balance, organization commitment factors are becoming more prevalent among employee’s decision to burnout the present job or the company. Educational institutions are not having focused strategies to retaining the employees as they are in the process of having turnover intention which lead to burnout. Investigating the relationships between job burnout, job stress, work engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment among faculty members at private educational institutions in India is the main objective of this study. The present study conducted through primary data by preparing the suitable questionnaire and collected the responses from 171 teaching employees of different private educational institutions in India. This study analysed the data by different tools and techniques like average, mean, correlation and regression. The findings revealed a significant association between burnout and workplace stress, as well as between job satisfaction, work engagement, and job stress. Burnout and job satisfaction were found to be significantly associated. The results demonstrate the importance of these factors in connection to job commitment and burnout. The implication of the study focuses on management must devote a lot of efforts in assessing their physical and mental working conditions in order to give services with the highest level of quality in education institutes.

Navigating the challenges of lecturers’ retention in South Africa: Perspective of a rurally located university

Most university students do not get the opportunity to graduate in the presence of their first-year lecturers because those lecturers may have moved to another university. The identified challenge is that universities, notably those located rurally, cannot retain their lecturers for extended periods. Therefore, the study explores the challenges hindering lecturers’ retention in a rurally located South African University. The qualitative study included 14 participants from the selected university, using purposive and convenience sampling methods. A semi-structured interview was used to elicit information from the participants within the principles of Participatory case study design. Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis method was adopted to analyse the data thematically. The study found that salaries and benefits, along with physical working conditions, are institutional challenges to retaining lecturers, while factors such as lack of stability and loss of interest at work are internal and external challenges affecting lecturers’ retention in their workplaces. The study concluded that institutional challenges are within the control of university administration and addressing them can help retain more lecturers. On the other hand, internal and external challenges, such as lack of stability and loss of interest at work, are more complex and require individual attention from the lecturers themselves.