Poor Employment Research Articles

Staff training and employee performance: Perspectives of the workplace

Whenever the issue of poor employee performance arises, the question of the provision of staff training takes center stage. Staff training is seen as the principal driving force and central to effective and efficient job performance. The quest to achieve high performance at the workplace has always been derailed by an acute lack of skills. Despite the plethora of studies of staff training and employee performance in different sectors, the literature has not yet explored the relationship between the two variables in the transport sector, particularly in the South African context. However, the relationship between staff training and employee performance has been engulfed in and apprehended by complexities, mistrust, and misunderstandings. It is through this premise that this paper seeks to evaluate the influence of staff training on employee performance in the transport sector. The study adopted an exploratory research design and tapped into a qualitative research approach. Using the purposive sampling technique, a sample of 15 respondents, comprised of skill development representatives of organizations operating in the transport sector in Durban, were interviewed. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data from the respondents. The key findings revealed that staff training has a positive influence on employee performance in the transport sector. The study plays a pivotal role in extending knowledge in the fields of staff training and employee performance.

Effect of Organisational Change on Employee Performance in Light Manufacturing Firms: A Study of Tannery in Kano State, Nigeria

It is vital for organisations to know the performance rate of their employees in order to know what changescan be introduced. Deficient employee performance is mostly the reason for organisations to start theprocess of change. Thus, there is poor employee performance among tannery firms in Kano State which overthe years have affected several tanneries performance in the State. This work investigated what effectchanges in organisation have on the performance of employees in the Kano State tanneries. Using a totalpopulation of 1009 employees of the tannery firms under study, a sample size of 285 was drawn usingKrejcie and Morgan scientific table. However, only 259 questionnaires dully filled by the employees wereused for the analysis of the study. The data collected from the respondents was analysed using correlationand multiple regression model on the SPSS statistical package, version 22. The study result shows thatstrategic change, technological change and attitude toward change were significant in predicting employeeperformance while structural change was insignificant in explaining the employee performance of tanneryfirms in Kano State. This study generally recommends that tannery firms in Kano state should implementstrategic change, technological change and attitude toward change because they were found to be positivelyand significantly related with the performance of employee.

The Nexus between Training and Development and Employee Performance in the County Government of Kakamega, Kenya

The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 promised Kenyans a devolved system of county governments that would bring services closer to people and allow local people and communities to make decisions and manage their affairs through their elected leaders and representatives. Furthermore, article 10, read together with article 232 of the constitution, promises Kenyans good governance and a public service that upholds the principles of integrity. However, the environment for the implementation of devolution has had several obstacles due to various challenges experienced over time. Since the onset of devolution, county governments in Kenya have faced serious performance challenges, some of which have been attributed to the fact that they have not been able to achieve their desired results due to poor employee performance on service delivery. This study sought to investigate the effect of training and development on employee performance in the county government of Kakamega, Kenya. The study used a descriptive research design. The target population for this study was 6,266 employees of the County Government of Kakamega. The study used a sample size population of 375 employees. The data collected for the study were presented using tables and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The validity of data instruments was ascertained by both theoretical and empirical literature, while data reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha test approach. The findings revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between training and development and employee performance among employees of the County Government of Kakamega. The study recommended that the County Government of Kakamega should prioritize the training and development of employees by committing more budget allocation and supporting these commitments with strategic plans, clear policies, and dedicated establishments to enhance employee performance and service delivery.

The Commercial Determinants of Violence: Identifying Opportunities for Violence Prevention through a Public Health-Based Framework Analysis.

Violence has immediate and long-term repercussions for the health of individuals and communities. Recent increases in the understanding of public health approaches to violence prevention have focused on the policies and practices of government, health, and other public sector agencies. However, the roles of commercial bodies in fostering and preventing violence remain largely unaddressed. The wealth and influence of some companies now exceeds that of many countries. Consequently, it is timely to explore the roles of commercial processes in violence. Using a conceptual framework for the commercial determinants of health, we examine seven practices: political; scientific; marketing; supply chain and waste; labor and employment; financial; and reputational management. We include areas directly linked with violence (e.g., firearms) and those that indirectly impact violence through the following: design and promotion of products; employment practices; and impacts on environment, poverty, and local resources. A range of avoidable commercial behaviors are found to increase levels of violence including the following: lobbying practices; distortion of scientific processes; polluting manufacture and supply lines; poor employee protections; financial investment in organizations and regimes associated with violence; and misleading communications and marketing. We conclude commercial actors can take action to ensure their workers, clients, suppliers, and distributors help prevent, not promote, violence. New technologies such as artificial intelligence are transforming corporate processes and products and offer opportunities to implement violence prevention through commercial developments (e.g., monitoring online content). International regulation of commercial behaviors is needed to prevent interpersonal and interstate conflict and harms to health and trade.

Effects of time management interventions on mental health and wellbeing factors: A protocol for a systematic review.

Poor employee mental health and wellbeing are highly prevalent and costly. Time-related factors such as work intensification and perceptions of time poverty or pressure pose risks to employee health and wellbeing. While reviews suggest that there are positive associations between time management behavior and wellbeing, there is limited rigorous and systematic research examining the effectiveness of time management interventions on wellbeing in the workplace. A thorough review is needed to synthesize time management interventions and their effectiveness to promote employee mental health and wellbeing. A systematic search will be conducted using the following databases: PsychINFO via OVID (1806-Present), Web of Science, Scopus via Elsevier (1976-Present), Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), Cochrane Library via Wiley (1992-Present), and MEDLINE via OVID (1946-Present). The review will include experimental and quasi-experimental studies that evaluate the effects of time management interventions on wellbeing outcomes on healthy adults in a workplace context. Only studies in English will be included. Two authors will independently perform the literature search, record screening, data extraction, and quality assessment of each study included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Data will be critically appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. Depending on the data, a meta-analysis or a narrative synthesis will be conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in the development of this protocol. The protocol has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD4202125715). This review will provide systematic evidence on the effects of time management interventions on wellbeing outcomes in the workplace. It will contribute to our understanding of how time management approaches may help to address growing concerns for employee mental health and wellbeing.

“you just look at rocks, and have beards” Perceptions of Geology From the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Analysis From an Online Survey

In the last few decades, Geology courses, particularly in the Global North, have seen a decline in student enrolment. Geologists have linked this downturn to a lack of exposure to the subject at school and college level. This work seeks to understand the public’s relationship with Geology and draws on over 5,000 open-ended question responses to a survey disseminated in 2021. The survey asked both those who had, and had not, studied geology as a subject a series of questions in order to explore their perceptions of the discipline. Our findings indicate that individuals “outside” of geology see the subject as old fashioned, boring, and environmentally damaging; simply the study of rock samples with nothing new to be discovered from; and with poor job prospects outside of the oil and gas industry. Geologists who responded to the survey paint a picture of a broad, interdisciplinary subject, with vibrant employability opportunities—yet struggle to coherently and collectively describe this when asked, “what is geology?”. In addition to the identified perception of geology as boring, and notions of poor employability being a barrier to prospective students, diversity and inclusivity issues are highlighted as significant barriers by those who study geology. Our findings indicate that both geologists and the geology curriculum need to coherently describe what geology is more effectively. We need to develop and better communicate the subject’s interdisciplinary nature and links to critical societal issues, such as the role of responsible mineral extraction in the energy transition and the importance of geology in vital areas such as climate change science, water resource management, environmental conservation, and sustainable urban/built development. Finding new ways to show that, far from being boring, geology is a subject that can fundamentally change the way you see and interact with the world around you is of central importance to achieving this. Efforts to make the subject more equitable are also highlighted as being critical in creating a more inclusive and accessible discipline.

‘They treat us like machines’: migrant workers’ conceptual framework of labour exploitation for health research and policy

BackgroundThe exploitation of migrant workers ranks high on global political agendas including the Sustainable Development Goals. Research on exploited workers, using assessment tools where exploitation is defined by professional experts,...

A Review on Development of Aquaculture in Cambodia

Aquaculture in Cambodia is gaining popularity due to growing anthropogenic pressures. Policy discourse is promoting its development as a viable alternative to fisheries. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reports that aquaculture contributes to the daily livelihoods of rural poor farmers and employment. Fish is a significant source of animal protein, and aquaculture-based fisheries offer enormous potential for fish culture production. NGOs and other organizations are playing a significant role in developing aquaculture and managing aquatic resources in Cambodia. This study is to review on the development of aquaculture sector in Cambodia. The result showed that fish is the most important source of animal protein in Cambodian people’s daily diet. There is enormous potential in fish culture production from floating cage culture, earthen pond culture and rice-fish culture and other fish culture activities in small water bodies or aquaculture-based fisheries in Cambodia. Moreover, fish does not only play a major role in the daily diet, but also in the employment, economy of the rural poor farmer and improvement of women role in aquaculture

Employment conditions and mental health of overseas female migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong: a parallel mediation analysis

BackgroundFemale migrant domestic workers (MDW), approximately 8.5 million globally, often live in their employer’s home under vulnerable conditions. In Hong Kong, MDWs currently comprise 5% of the population. This study was conducted to assess the association between employment conditions and mental health, and the mediating roles stress and job satisfaction have, among female MDWs in Hong Kong.MethodsParticipants completed an online cross-sectional survey. A total of 1,965 survey were collected between August 2020 and August 2021. Questions in the survey were related to MDWs background information, employment conditions, stress, job satisfaction, and two mental health outcomes: anxiety and depression. An employment conditions score was created to assess the cumulative effect poor employment conditions had on mental health. A multicategorical parallel mediation analysis was used to assess the direct effect employment conditions have on mental health and the indirect effects through stress and job satisfaction.ResultsOverall, 17.7% of MDWs were reported to be suffering from anxiety and 30.8% from depression. An increase in poor employment conditions was statistically associated with an increase in both outcomes, while stress levels and job satisfaction mediated this association.ConclusionsThe findings call for increased scrutiny of employment conditions and mental well-being of MDWs.

The Impact of Welfare Conditionality on Experiences of Job Quality

This article contributes to emerging debates about how behavioural conditionality within welfare systems influences job quality. Drawing upon analysis of unique data from three waves of qualitative longitudinal interviews with 46 UK social security recipients (133 interviews), we establish that the impact of welfare conditionality is so substantial that it is no longer adequate to discuss job quality without reference to its interconnections to the welfare system. More specifically, we identify how conditionality drives welfare recipients’ experience of four core dimensions of job quality: disempowering and propelling claimants towards inadequate pay, insecurity and poor employment terms, undermining multiple intrinsic characteristics of work and creating what we term a new ‘Work–Life–Welfare balance’. Instead of acting as a neutral arbitrator between jobseekers and employers, the welfare system is exposed as complicit in reinforcing one-sided flexibility through one-sided conditionality, by emphasising intensive job-seeking, while leaving poor-quality work provided by employers unchecked.

Current Socio-Economic Conditions and Mental Health of Female RMG Workers: A Narrative Review

With an estimated 4 million workers, garment manufacturers in Bangladesh contribute to the country’s economic prosperity. Most of the female employees in this industry come from rural regions. These workers frequently do repetitive, continuous, and lengthy tasks including stitching, ironing, packaging, and lifting large objects. The presence of toxic factors in the workplace can have detrimental effects on an employee’s physical and mental well-being as well as the organization’s general health. This study aimed to investigate the mental health and socioeconomic situation of female RMG workers. Materials and Methods: The search approach that was used was a thorough electronic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library. This review includes all publicly available research that had a full-text article in the database and a thorough methodology. Results: Eleven studies were included in this review. The studies revealed that the majority of the readymade garment workers are female around 80-90%. They are from rural areas and not highly educated. The mental health issues are due to result of working at uncomfortable positions at the factory and simultaneously fulfilling family demands at home. According to the experts, female employees’ health is impacted by their physical work environment, poor employment position, and the type of their profession. The female employees shared their own accounts of experiencing physical and verbal abuse, ongoing pressure, various personal limitations, and wage withholding in the workplace. Conclusions: Review of socio-economic status and mental health issues among the lowly educated young garment factory workers revealed that the uncooperativeness of various stakeholders were the biggest reasons for mental health issues. Women participated in the majority of the research projects. As a result, it’s essential to set up targeted initiatives to improve the mental health of garment workers.

졸업학기 대학생의 고용가능성 유형과 수준 분석·충청 소재 A대학을 중심으로

The purpose of this study is to analyze the types and level of employability on the graduation semester students of university. A survey about employability was administered to 223 seniors between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2021. The employability types was analyzed through the hierarchical cluster analysis and employability level was analyzed through the one sample t-test, one-way ANOVA.
 The results of study were as follows: First, graduation semester students' employability could be classified into four types(good employability, deficient information exploration and career preparation, deficient employability, poor employability and goal establishment). The humanities-social sciences majors were found to be the most numerous in cluster 1, the natural-engineering majors in cluster 3, and the arts-physical education majors in cluster 2. Second, graduation semester students' employability was found to be significantly higher than that of university students nationwide in all nine areas of two dimensions. There was a significant level difference between majors in two sub-domains(Goal establishment; Information exploration) of the employment readiness and all of sub-domains of employment suitability.
 Based on these results, discriminative intervention plan considering the types and level of employability in education and support for the enhancement of employability of university students were discussed.

The Effect of Implementing Work Ethics and Islamic Leadership on Employee Performance

The performance of employees in a company is a parameter of success in realizing the vision and mission to achieve the goals of a company. Poor employee performance stems from a lack of implementation of work ethics and leadership. For a Muslim, work ethics and Islamic leadership are matters relating to the actions, attitudes, and attributes that a person performs and considers work as worship for Allah SWT and it is based on the Al-Quran and Hadith to get grace and a better quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the application of Islamic work ethics and Islamic leadership on the performance of employees at the Bandung Islamic University Foundation. The research method used in this study is a survey method with a quantitative approach. The data source used in this study is primary data. The sampling technique in this study is non-probability sampling with a convenience sampling technique. The results of this study state that the Application of Islamic Work Ethics and Islamic Leadership influences Employee Performance.

Working conditions of the kinesiologists working in the Atacama region in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The social-health crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of attending to the working conditions of health personnel in order to provide for risks at work. Kinesiologists had a frontline role during the pandemic which led to the modification of their activities and at the same time increased hiring of these professionals in health care services. Objective: To understand the working conditions of kinesiologists working in the Atacama region, in northern Chile, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The qualitative study is based on the naturalistic paradigm, the tendency used is the grounded theory with a systematic design of Strauss and Corbin J. With two levels of open and axial analysis. Twenty semi-structured interviews were carried out with kinesiologists, ten women and ten men. Results: The analysis allowed establishing eight predominant categories: poor working conditions, poor employment conditions, attitudes and feelings, professionalism, facilitators of working conditions, relevance of the professional role, good employment conditions and lack of knowledge of concepts of employment and working conditions. Conclusion: The working conditions of kinesiologists are deficient, the informal contractual situation stands out and without access to social security, constituting an element of precarious employment and exposure to psychosocial risks as predominant elements of working conditions that are important to address to ensure the safety and quality of care services through the professionals who provide care

Entrepreneurial Innovation Mediation among Marketing Strategies and Business Sustainability in Ethiopia

Present study was conducted to examine the predicators of marketing strategies on the organizational performance with mediation of entrepreneurship innovation in Sustainable business scenario. The researchers had designed both descriptive and inferential statistics and different methodologies. The sampling technique was both non-probability and probability incorporating simple random sampling technique. The data for this study were obtained from Oromia International Bank, Ethiopia as the representative organization with a survey of 425 customers of Oromia International Bank, those served in sectors and modern organizations staff of Bule-Hora branch, Ethiopia. The researchers, finally come up with the result, of less marketing strategy implementation and the decreasing the organization performance which are mainly associated with poor leaders capacity, Work environment and poor Employees commitment and poor technology adoption ,related predicators were among the major problems while adoption of mediation of entrepreneurship innovation . Leader’s capacity is single of the most promising ways to increase organization performance in Ethiopia. The researchers recommended that the concerned body had to have applied so as to end up with the problems observed in marketing strategy implementation, control the predicators, and in turn provide good marketing strategy implementation as well as good organization performance.

Job insecurity and work–family interface as predictors of mental and physical health: The moderating role of family–work stereotype threat

AbstractWhile a growing body of literature links the stressor of job insecurity (JI) with poor employee well‐being and increased work‐to‐family conflict (WFC), the current study specifically tests WFC as an explanatory mechanism of the relationships between affective JI (i.e., emotional reactions to the perceived threat to one's job) and poor health outcomes (i.e., mental and physical health). Moreover, this study uniquely examines how family–work stereotype threat (FWST; i.e., fears of confirming negative stereotypes about workers with family obligations) may exacerbate the relationship between perceived threats to one's job and employee reports of WFC. Using a cross‐country design, data from 707 employees in the United States (two‐wave) and 763 employees nested within 100 organizations in Italy (multilevel, cross‐sectional) largely supported the hypothesized mediation model. Specifically, WFC explains the association of JI with individual mental and physical health in both countries. Moreover, FWST exacerbates the direct relation of JI with WFC in the United States, but not in Italy. These findings suggest that the fear of losing one's job may prompt employee experiences of WFC and subsequent poorer physical and mental health; additionally, in the United States, this effect is even stronger among employees who reported higher levels of FWST. We interpret these heterogeneous findings in the light of nation‐related factors in managing increasingly insecure employment markets, especially after the COVID‐19 pandemic. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for improving both health and work–life boundary management of post‐pandemic workers.

Psychosocial Occupational Health-A Priority for Middle-Income Countries?

In response to new developments of work and employment in high-income countries (HICs), psychosocial aspects of work and health have received increased attention. In contrast, middle-income countries (MICs) are mainly concerned with severe challenges of noxious- and dangerous-material work environments, poor employment conditions, and deficient social policies, which leaves the psychosocial aspects with a marginal role, at best, in occupational health. More recently, differences between these two worlds were even aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, with economic globalisation and the growing worldwide interconnectivity, the world of work in MICs is being rapidly transformed, starting to share several concerns with the modern Western societies. In this process, psychosocial occupational health will become an increasingly pressing issue. This contribution explores the extent to which psychosocial aspects of work and health are already addressed in research originating from MICs. Using a narrative review approach, a selective focus on recent findings from two regions, Asia Pacific and Latin America, revealed an increasing interest in work stress-related problems, but a restricted impact of the respective research findings. It is hoped that future scientific developments in MICs will enrich the international state of the art in this field.

Awareness of racial/ethnic inequities in time to treatment among breast cancer providers.

584 Background: Cancer patients who self-identify as Black and Latinx are more likely to receive delays in care compared with Non-Latinx White patients. Research suggests that while providers are aware of racial/ethnic inequities in access to treatment at a national-level, they fail to recognize these differences at the hospital- or individual-level. This phenomenon is not well understood and has yet to be studied among oncologists. We sought to evaluate awareness of national and local time-to-treatment inequities in breast cancer providers. Methods: We conducted an educational intervention at the Smilow Cancer Hospital, the clinical arm of the Yale Cancer Center, in February 2023. Breast cancer providers (including breast surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, breast radiologists, and advanced practice nurses) completed an online survey that assessed their understanding of treatment inequities at three levels (national, hospital, and individual) before and after they watched a 20-minute live presentation. The presentation included real-world national and breast-team specific data on differences in time-to-treatment metrics by race/ethnicity from the Flatiron electronic health record-derived de-identified database. Differences between surveys were evaluated with Fisher’s exact tests. Results: Among 18 providers, most were female (78%), Non-Latinx White (83%), had an average of 15 years of experience (SD=10), and half reported at least 10-25% of the patients they care for were non-White. Awareness of race/ethnicity as a factor in influencing differences in oncological care increased significantly (33% to 77 %, p = 0.02) pre-to-post intervention at the hospital-level but did not significantly change at the national- (78% to 83%, p > 0.05) or individual- (17% to 28%, p > 0.05) level. Providers identified adverse social determinants of health, such as housing insecurity, poor employment conditions, and food insecurity, as the main cause of inequities both nationally and within their disease team. On average, at the post-survey, most providers agreed that patient factors (62%) rather than provider factors (30%) were driving differences in oncological care metrics. However, they reported that larger systems, such as healthcare agencies, government, and providers (all 89%), rather than patients, were responsible for reducing these inequities. Conclusions: In this pilot study, a brief educational intervention increased awareness of local hospital-level factors, but not national- and individual-level factors, associated with racial/ethnic inequities in time to cancer treatment. As the oncology field continues to address inequities in care, it is crucial for providers to not only acknowledge the existence of these inequities but also to establish successful interventions to reduce these inequities within their own disease team.

Evaluation of clinical outcomes and employment status in veterans with dual diagnosis of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

To examine clinical outcomes and employment status in Veterans with and without a dual diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). This cross-sectional study examined a national sample of Veterans enrolled in the VA Million Veteran Program who completed the Comprehensive TBI Evaluation (CTBIE) as part of the Veterans Health Administration's TBI Screening and Evaluation Program. Veterans (N = 12,985) were classified into the following TBI/SCI groups using CTBIE data: those with a dual diagnosis of TBI and SCI (TBI+/SCI+); those with a history of TBI but no SCI (TBI+/SCI-); and those with no history of TBI or SCI (TBI-/SCI-; i.e., the control group). CTBIE-derived outcomes included neurobehavioral symptoms, comorbid psychiatric symptoms, pain and pain interference, and employment status. Chi-square analyses showed significant associations between TBI/SCI group and all clinical outcomes evaluated (all p's < .001; V = 0.07-0.11). In general, the TBI+/SCI+ and TBI +/SCI-groups endorsed comparable levels of neurobehavioral symptoms, psychiatric symptoms, and pain, but significantly greater rates of symptoms and pain relative to the TBI-/SCI- group. Effect sizes for all pairwise comparisons were small (φ = 0.01-0.11). Finally, there was no significant association between TBI/SCI group and employment status (p = .170; V = 0.02), with all three groups showing relatively comparable rates of unemployment. Regardless of SCI status, Veterans with TBI history endorsed poorer clinical outcomes than Veterans without TBI and SCI. However, rates of unemployment were similarly high across all three groups. Findings suggest that any Veteran completing the CTBIE may be at risk for poor clinical and employment outcomes.

State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Demographic Characteristics and Employment Outcomes for Native Americans with Mental Illnesses.

There were 9.7 million Native Americans (American Indian, Alaska Native-AI/AN- these acronyms will be used interchangeably with Native Americans throughout the paper) in 2019 comprising 2.9% of the U.S. population. Native American populations have disproportionately higher rates of mental illnesses compared to other racial groups in the U.S. Mental health is a significant public health concern for this population, impacting different areas of their lives including employment. Additionally, Native Americans continue to experience significant disparities in access to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services and have poor employment outcomes. However, little is known about the relationships among demographic factors, vocational rehabilitation services, and employment outcomes of Native Americans with mental illness. Consequently, the current study examined how demographic factors and VR services are related to successful employment outcomes for Native American VR clients with mental illnesses using data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) program year (2019) Case Service Report (9-11). Both descriptive analysis and data mining approaches were used to answer the research questions. Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analysis was used to determine which of the VR services could best predict the successful employment outcome of Native Americans with mental illness. The findings of the data mining approach revealed that among all the vocational rehabilitation services, job placement assistance was the strongest predictor of successful employment among Native American clients with mental illnesses. The second most important service predicting successful employment for those who received job placement assistance was shown to be maintenance. Implications for rehabilitation counselors and future research are discussed.