Work Preferences Research Articles

Meaning of Work Participation After Spinal Cord Injury in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study in a Low- and Middle-Income Country Context.

This study aimed to explore the meaning of work participation for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Bangladesh. Narrative inquiry methodological framework was used to explore the meaning of work participation after SCI. Face-to-face interviews with twenty adults with SCI, who were either living in the community or in-patients at a rehabilitation center. The Worker Role Interview questionnaire was used as an interview guide. Participants were descriptively analyzed in two groups, rehabilitation participants and community participants. Their transcripts were analyzed using individual narrative analysis to understand the meaning of their experience at an individual level and then the findings from the individual narrative analyses were summarized using thematic analysis to identify themes that collectively represented the meaning of work after SCI in Bangladesh. Five themes were identified from the interviews: "work life before injury"; "current life in relation to work"; "framing future prospects of work participation"; "motives for working"; and "enablers of work participation." The meaning of work is subjective and is influenced by the participants' pre-existing experiences and other factors related to their work life, such as work preferences, habits, and daily routines. Therefore, creating opportunities to better understand the meaning of work for each individual and incorporating these factors into rehabilitation are keys to sustainable rehabilitation outcomes.

Implementation of A Problem-Based Learning Model with the Help of Interactive Presentation Media from Quizziz in Increasing Student Learning Motivation in Class XI MIPA 4 in Chemistry Learning at Kebakkramat State Senior High School

This study aims to evaluate the increase in learning motivation in chemistry lessons using Quizziz interactive presentation media on the topic of buffer solutions, solubility, and solubility results. This class action research involved students of class XI MIPA 4 at SMA Negeri Kebakkramat. The Problem Based Learning (PBL) model is applied to involve students in solving real problems related to learning topics, encouraging investigation, critical thinking, and collaboration. Data collection was conducted through observation, interviews, and questionnaires, with data analysis using quantitative and qualitative descriptive techniques. The results showed that the application of the PBL model and Quizziz media succeeded in increasing student learning motivation with a success rate of 83% in cycle II. Indicators of learning motivation such as perseverance, persistence, preference for independent work, courage to find solutions, and ability to defend opinions, increased from cycle I (81.34%) to cycle II (83%). Evaluation of student motivation criteria also showed significant improvement from cycle I (47% excellent, 47% good, 6% fair) to cycle II (55% excellent, 42% good, 3% fair).

Unpacking Technological Risks: Different Sources of Concern and Policy Preferences

How concerned are workers about the impact of technological changes on employment, and what policies do they prefer to mitigate potential negative effects of these changes? We address these questions by presenting new analytical distinctions among different types of labour market concerns. We differentiate among the risk of job substitution, ‘technostress’ and general apprehension about the impact of technology in the workplace. In terms of policy responses, we distinguish between worker preferences for job loss compensation, retraining and distinct measures of ‘technological protectionism’. Using survey data from Spain and innovative measures of these concepts, our findings reveal that concern about job substitution is modestly correlated with support for some redistribution policies. By contrast, both technostress and general concerns about the impact of technology significantly increase support for protectionist policies but not redistribution. These results contribute to understanding how workers might respond to the labour market effects of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

The Changing Ambitions of Workers: Adapting Leadership for Today's Reality

Recent research suggests workers' career ambitions are changing, with fewer aspiring to top executive roles like CEO. This article explores the implications of shifting ambitions for organizational leadership strategies. Research from McKinsey and others finds only 3 in 10 workers today want C-suite careers, down from previous generations where climbing the corporate ladder was standard. Societal factors like economic instability and greater valuation of work-life balance, as well as generational preferences for meaningful work and flexibility over prestige roles, help explain changing priorities. To optimize talent management amid these trends, the author recommends companies realign leadership strategies, talent practices, and culture. Distributed leadership models, non-linear career paths focused on skills development, and culture emphasizing purpose, learning, and well-being can better engage modern workers who prioritize autonomy, growth, and impact over rigid hierarchy. Industry examples demonstrate how redefining success and expanding career definitions can boost retention, diversity, and collaboration.

Migraine and work - beyond absenteeism: Migraine severity and occupational burnout - A cohort study.

Migraine, a condition affecting 12% of the population, is a prevalent cause of disability, significantly impacts individuals during their most productive working years. Several studies have established that a migraine patient's job performance is often limited by absenteeism and presenteeism. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of migraines on occupational burnout, which affects up to 40% of workers. A subset of participants from the Negev Migraine Cohort, including both migraine patients and non-migraine controls, were asked to complete the study questionnaire. The main exposures of interest were migraine diagnosis and severity. The primary outcome was occupational burnout. Migraine severity and associated disability were evaluated using the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) score, psychiatric comorbidities using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21) scale and occupational burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-GS version) scale. Statistical analyses included multivariable quantile regression models to identify associations and adjust for potential confounders. In total, 675 migraine patients and 232 non-migraine participants participated in the study. Migraine patients exhibited higher rates of depression (mean DASS-21: 0.864 vs. 0.664, standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.262), tended to work longer hours (median weekly hours: 40.0 vs. 36.0, SMD = 0.148) and expressed a preference for remote work (20.3% vs. 10.3%, SMD = 0.097). Migraine patients reported significantly higher levels of occupational burnout (mean burnout score: 3.46 vs. 2.82, SMD = 0.469). Controlling for depression, anxiety and stress, migraine diagnosis (25th percentile estimate = 0.67, p = 0.002, 75th percentile estimate = 0.92, p = 0.032) and migraine severity (estimates: 2.2-5.3, p < 0.001 for all) were associated with higher levels of occupational burnout. Migraine diagnosis and severity is associated with an occupational burnout, after controlling for various psychological and work-related factors. The findings underscore the need for workplace adjustments to support migraine patients' participation in the work market.

Why Are so Many Remote Workers Reluctant to Endure the Politics of Organizational Culture?

A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article dated May 31, 2023, titled “Why Workers Aren’t Coming Back to the Office Full-Time” (Smith &amp; Carpenter, 2023), examines reasons employees prefer remote work, such as rising childcare costs, avoidance of micro-management, low interpersonal conflict, wardrobe requirements, food costs, commute time, and parking expenses. The WSJ has recently published multiple articles on remote work, including one on January 11, 2024, stating “Remote Workers Are Losing Out on Promotions, New Data Shows” (Chen, 2024), which claims remote workers were promoted 31% less frequently than office workers. Understanding the politics of organizational culture related to remote work preferences is crucial. We conducted a literature review using Google Scholar with key terms “remote work” and “office” OR “politics” OR “culture” from 2019 to 2023, including the COVID-19 pandemic period. There is a pressing need for a cultural shift within organizations to adopt remote and hybrid work models, driven by professionals' increasing demand for remote work options.

Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation

Abstract The social protection of platform workers is considered one of the most precarious features and political challenges of this new form of employment. Still, there have only been a few empirical investigations on this issue to date. This article presents an explorative empirical analysis of the social protection of platform workers in Germany – a conservative welfare regime with a strong link between standard employment and institutionalised social protection. On the basis of an online survey amongst 719 self-employed platform workers, we examine how different employment patterns correspond to institutionalised protection against sickness and old age. We empirically explore different protection types and analyse how they differ regarding working conditions in platform work and individual social policy preferences. Findings reveal that conditions of platform work and social protection as well as demands and regulatory preferences vary notably across different clusters of platform workers. Still, the vast majority votes against obligatory social insurances for platform workers and favours self-employment over dependent employment. Against this background, we discuss challenges for future attempts aiming at improving social protection for platform workers. This study adds to the literature by empirically exploring platform workers’ social protection and social policy preferences, which have been overlooked to date.

Casualization of work, free riding and institutional distrust: Explaining social protection preferences of platform workers in Germany

Abstract The social protection of platform workers is widely recognized as a major political challenge but remains vastly understudied. The few existing investigations focus on social protection coverage and the employment status of platform workers, while their social protection preferences remain a black box to date. In this article, we investigate the social protection preferences of platform workers using a mixed methods design based on an online survey (n = 719) and qualitative in-depth interviews (n = 20) with self-employed platform workers in Germany. While the quantitative data indicate that the vast majority of respondents reject compulsory social insurance contributions for platform workers and favour self-employment over dependent employment, the qualitative interviews reveal three main types of explanations for this regulation aversion in different segments of platform work: The casualization of work in the platform economy, free riding on protection derived from ‘regular’ employment and distrust in established welfare state institutions. Against this background, we discuss challenges for social policies aiming at improving social protection for platform workers.

Public service motivation, public sector preference and employment of Kenyan medical doctor interns: a cross-sectional and prospective study

BackgroundKenya grapples with a paradox; severe public sector workforce shortages co-exist with rising unemployment among healthcare professionals. Medical schools have increased trainee outputs, but only 45% of newly qualified/registered doctors were absorbed by the public sector during 2015–2018. In such a context, we explore what influences doctors’ career choices at labour market entry, specifically understanding the role of public service motivation (PSM).MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional and prospective study of interns and recently graduated doctors to examine PSM, their intention to work in the public sector and their final employment sector and status. We surveyed them on their PSM and job intentions and conducted a prospective follow-up survey of the interns, around one year later, to understand their employment status.FindingsWe recruited 356 baseline participants and followed up 76 out of 129 eligible interns. The overall PSM score was high among all participants (rated 4.50/5.00) irrespective of sector preferences. 48% (171/356) of the participants preferred to work in the public sector immediately after internship, alongside 16% (57/356) preferring direct entry into specialist training—commonly in the public sector. Only 13% (46/356) and 7% (25/365) preferred to work in the private or faith-based sector. Despite the high proportion of interns preferring public sector jobs, only 17% (13/76) were employed in the public sector at follow-up and 13% (10/76) were unemployed, due to lack of job availability.ConclusionHigh PSM scores irrespective of sector preferences suggest that doctors are generally committed to serving the ‘public good’. Many intended to work in the public sector but were unable to due to lack of job opportunities. Policymakers have an opportunity to tackle workforce gaps in the public sector as young doctors continue to express a preference for such work. To do this they should prioritise creating adequate and sustainable job opportunities.

LABOR VALUES IN THE PERCEPTION OF THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF DIGITALIZATION

The purpose of the article is to explore the perception of work values as a marker of identity by the millennial generation in the context of the global digitalization of society. The millennial generation, being a significant part of the country’s economically active population, demonstrates its understanding of decent work, expressed in work preferences and value orientations, which, in turn, serves to determine the identity of this age group. Digitalization has contributed to the development and diversification of the employment sector by offering alternative forms, which has greatly changed the understanding of decent work. Based on data from a sociological study of formalized interviews among representatives of the millennial generation (n = 300), the key components of work values and their influence on the professional activity of representatives of the generation being studied were identified. The desire of millennials for career growth and professional self-improvement as the main labor value has been established; we can talk about a balance between external and internal labor orientations. It was revealed that an integral part of decent work for them is the presence of an expanded social package, including voluntary health insurance (VHI), and flexible work schedules. Millennials demonstrate high adaptability to changing conditions of the labor market and openness to innovation in organizing the labor process, which is manifested in a preference for remote forms of employment, opportunities for retraining and development. In the future, it is possible to study the attitudes towards work of millennials and centennials from a comparative perspective. The results of the article are of interest to those specializing in the field of sociology of labor and sociology of youth. The sociological research data can be used in the practical organization of labor activities to optimize personnel management and create a corporate culture that meets the needs of the new generation of workers.

Monopsony Power in the Labor Market: From Theory to Policy

Labor markets are not perfectly competitive: Monopsony power enables employers to pay workers less than the marginal revenue product of labor. We review three theoretical frameworks explaining monopsony power. Oligopsony models attribute it to strategic interactions among a limited number of firms. Job differentiation models cite imperfect job substitution and heterogeneous worker preferences. Search-and-matching models point to search frictions hindering instantaneous access to all available jobs. We then develop a theory-informed discussion of the empirical evidence on antitrust policies, policies that reduce barriers to job switching, and policies countering monopsony's effects on workers. Preventing mergers and regulating noncompetition agreements can increase wages by preserving competition among employers. Minimum wages can mitigate the effect of monopsony power by increasing wages without reducing employment. The insights garnered from both theoretical models and empirical evidence offer a road map for crafting policies that can enhance competition in the labor market.

The Best of Both Worlds: Affiliation and Agency in Traditional and Gig Work Choices

The opportunity to construct a career and the prevalence of virtual work are hallmarks of the extant environment that makes career decisions and workforce recruitment increasingly complex. We seek to understand jobseekers’ choices in this context, which allows for great personal control and independence. We draw on the career self-management stream of social-cognitive career theory to inform our examination of the influences of certain applicant work preferences and individual characteristics on preferences for gig or traditional work and related job-seeking behaviors. Findings from this study indicate that a sense of agency and need for affiliation are significantly related to new and transitional job seekers’ willingness to pursue face-to-face versus gig work opportunities. Additionally, this work revealed a positive relationship between a preference for face-to-face and gig work options, indicating that incorporating a combination of the two may be optimal for employees and employers.

Changes in work and adequacy of financial resources during COVID-19 among people with systemic sclerosis: A Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network study.

We investigated (1) work status changes during COVID-19, (2) financial resource adequacy, (3) preferences for work requirements (e.g. remote, workplace, mixed) and (4) work requirements versus preferences, among people with systemic sclerosis. This was a cross-sectional study of participants in the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network COVID-19 Cohort, which enrolled participants from the ongoing Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Cohort and externally in April 2020. In August 2022, participants completed questions on work status, financial well-being using the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Financial Well-Being Scale, work requirements and work requirement preferences. A total of 298 participants with systemic sclerosis were included. Mean age was 58.6 years (SD = 11.4). There were 101 (34%) participants working at the start of the pandemic and still working in August 2022, 179 (60%) not working at the start of the pandemic and still not working, 10 (3%) who stopped working after April 2020 and 8 (3%) who started working. Mean financial well-being did not change from April 2020 to August 2022 (difference: 0.2 points; 95% confidence interval: -1.1 to 0.7). Working participants (N = 109) preferred flexible work requirements (N = 34, 31%) or working entirely remotely (N = 32, 29%), but most were required to work entirely at a workplace (N = 35, 32%) or combined workplace and remotely with a fixed schedule (N = 31, 28%). Work status and financial well-being did not change substantively among people with systemic sclerosis during the pandemic. Flexible work policies may support people with systemic sclerosis to work.

Through the eyes of the involved: the extent to which different types of influence shape public employed frontline professionals’ perception of involvement in organizational decision-making

ABSTRACT This article offers a theoretical model on how frontline professionals form their perception of being involved in organizational decision-making by balancing perceived benefits and transaction costs of increased influence. The model suggests that frontline professionals find consultation most beneficial for decisions that are distal from their daily work tasks and prefer joint decision-making for decisions that are proximal to their daily work tasks. Results from a survey experiment with more than 600 public employed junior physicians reveal that, regardless of the proximity of the organizational decision, they perceive consultation as the most beneficial form of influence in organizational decision-making.

Generative artificial intelligence and the personalization of health professional education: A narrative review.

This narrative review examined the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and the personalization of health professional education (PHE). This review aims to the elucidate the current condition of GAI technologies and their particular uses in the field of PHE. Data were extracted and analyzed from studies focusing on the demographics and professional development preferences of healthcare workers, the competencies required for personalized precision medicine, and the current and potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in PHE. The review also addressed the ethical implications of AI implementation in this context. Findings indicated a gender-balanced healthcare workforce with a predisposition toward continuous professional development and digital tool utilization. A need for a comprehensive educational framework was identified to include a spectrum of skills crucial for precision medicine, emphasizing the importance of patient involvement and bioethics. AI was found to enhance educational experiences and research in PHE, with an increasing trend in AI applications, particularly in surgical education since 2018. Ethical challenges associated with AI integration in PHE were highlighted, with an emphasis on the need for ethical design and diverse development teams. Core concepts in AI research were established, with a spotlight on emerging areas such as data science and learning analytics. The application of AI in PHE was recognized for its current benefits and potential for future advancements, with a call for ethical vigilance. GAI holds significant promise for personalizing PHE, with an identified need for ethical frameworks and diverse developer teams to address bias and equity in educational AI applications.

Job Satisfaction Gen-Z: A Systematic Literature Review

The study examines the importance of human resource management (HRM) in attracting, retaining, and managing employee performance. It highlights the role of HRM in organizing compensation, benefits, and creating a positive work environment to improve job satisfaction and productivity. The research focuses on Generation Z’s preferences for job satisfaction, including flexibility, work-life balance, and meaningful work. It discusses how managers must adapt to retain young employees and invest in their development and well-being. Utilizing bibliometric analysis and PRISMA guidelines, the study analyzes scientific publications to understand the factors influencing job satisfaction among Generation Z. The study concludes that job satisfaction is crucial for employee retention and creating a positive workplace culture. It suggests that businesses must adapt to the changing needs of Generation Z by focusing on employee satisfaction to improve performance and reduce turnover

Accounting for taste: preferences mediate the relationship between documentation time and ambulatory physician burnout.

Physician burnout in the US has reached crisis levels, with one source identified as extensive after-hours documentation work in the electronic health record (EHR). Evidence has illustrated that physician preferences for after-hours work vary, such that after-hours work may not be universally burdensome. Our objectives were to analyze variation in preferences for after-hours documentation and assess if preferences mediate the relationship between after-hours documentation time and burnout. We combined EHR active use data capturing physicians' hourly documentation work with survey data capturing documentation preferences and burnout. Our sample included 318 ambulatory physicians at MedStar Health. We conducted a mediation analysis to estimate if and how preferences mediated the relationship between after-hours documentation time and burnout. Our primary outcome was physician-reported burnout. We measured preferences for after-hours documentation work via a novel survey instrument (Burden Scenarios Assessment). We measured after-hours documentation time in the EHR as the total active time respondents spent documenting between 7 pm and 3 am. Physician preferences varied, with completing clinical documentation after clinic hours while at home the scenario rated most burdensome (52.8% of physicians), followed by dealing with prior authorization (49.5% of physicians). In mediation analyses, preferences partially mediated the relationship between after-hours documentation time and burnout. Physician preferences regarding EHR-based work play an important role in the relationship between after-hours documentation time and burnout. Studies of EHR work and burnout should incorporate preferences, and operational leaders should assess preferences to better target interventions aimed at EHR-based contributors to burnout.

Reconfiguring digital embeddedness in hybrid work: The case of employee experience management platforms

AbstractAs organisations respond to the increasing preference for hybrid work, employee experience management (EXM) platforms are becoming integral to transforming employees' experiences in hybrid workplaces. In this article, we theorise that EXM platforms are implanted into the workflow through digital embeddedness, which is appropriated and reconfigured through the interactions between human and digital subsystems in hybrid work. We adopt the lens of digital/human interaction to explore the reciprocal process of how EXM platforms configure and are reconfigured in hybrid work. Based on a case study of Microsoft Viva, an AI‐based EXM platform, we propose a conceptual model that identifies two dimensions of digital embeddedness: digital/human embeddedness and digital/workplace embeddedness. The study contributes to a theoretical understanding of digital embeddedness as a dynamic process whilst also showing the reconfiguration of hybrid work practices evidences a joint optimization. The study further contributes insights into how hybrid work, which resulted from the enforced remote work during the COVID‐19 pandemic, continues to emerge due to the digital embeddedness of EXM platforms in the flow of hybrid work.

Remote work and location preferences: a study of post-pandemic trends in Italy

This study investigates how working remotely, by reducing workplace commuting, weakens the limitations connected to residential mobility and enables Tiebout sorting. We focus on the Italian context, where a strong culture of in-person workplace attendance limits workers’ ability to live farther from their workplace. We leverage the natural experiment of COVID-19 containment measures to shed light on the spatial implications of an increased remote work adoption. We overcome the unavailability of official data by collecting primary data in early 2022 through an original survey of our design on a sample of workers in 12 metropolitan areas. To address the challenges of analyzing the phenomenon in a still-developing context, we ask questions on both their actual and intended moving behavior in relation to remote work availability. Using a case–control study design, we find significant evidence that expecting to work remotely more frequently in the long term increases the likelihood of being interested in moving, or having done so already since the pandemic outbreak.

Perspectives of the Technological Pedagogical Environment and Teaching Adaptation in Times of Pandemic in Ecuador. Retrospective Study

The purpose of this research is to know the perspectives of the technological pedagogical environment and teaching adaptation in times of pandemic in Ecuador regarding online education within the framework of the health emergency within Ecuadorian middle-level institutions; since, current education represents a methodological challenge characterized by digital tools during teaching, and processes that have abruptly modified the space and forms of teaching. Therefore, the retrospective level study assisted by case study methodology used as data collection techniques, questionnaires applied to the selected sample, made up of volunteer high school teachers, whose responses were stored through the Google Forms platform, in categories that detected quantitative and qualitative perception indicators. In this sense, teachers consider that, in this modality, the workload entails greater dedication time and the speed of content advancement is affected by the short synchronous interaction times. Consequently, teacher perception indicates a drastic change and little flexibility for the development of their digital skills or accessibility to resources that provide an adequate space for virtual education, thus highlighting their preference for in-person work.