Demand Resources Research Articles

Gains and pains: a qualitative study on the implications of value-based health care for professionals

BackgroundWhile aiming to optimize patient value, the shift towards Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) in hospitals worldwide has been argued to benefit healthcare professionals as well. However, robust evidence regarding VBHC’s workforce implications is lacking. This gap is problematic, as the motivation and health of healthcare professionals are central to the quality of care and crucial amidst contemporary workforce challenges. This study aims to qualitatively examine the implications of VBHC for healthcare professionals’ motivation, job strain, and ongoing participation in VBHC. In addition, it explores how these outcomes are regulated at both the individual and organizational levels.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 healthcare professionals across six Dutch hospitals. Interviewees engaged in three VBHC activities: (1) value-based outpatient consultations and/or; (2) value-based quality improvement activities; as well as in; (3) VBHC implementation. Interview questions and data analysis were guided by the Job Demands–Resources model.ResultsVBHC interacts with four themes perceived to affect professional’s motivation (perception of making a positive impact, enjoyability of job activities, personal development, and sense of community and support) and three themes perceived to affect job strain (workload, cognitive demands, and confidence). VBHC creates both gains (primarily increasing motivation; occasionally reducing strain) and pains (primarily increasing strain; sometimes reducing motivation). The perceived impact of VBHC depends on the fit between the individual, one’s activities in VBHC, the working conditions, and the pace of VBHC implementation. An observation that warrants attention is that healthcare professionals with a 'do-er' mentality and high ambitions to optimize patient value can become demotivated to continue advancing VBHC with the same intensity, particularly due to perceived slow progress.ConclusionsWhile VBHC is centered around patients, this study emphasizes that the needs, experiences and changing role identities of healthcare professionals cannot be overlooked in this transition. VBHC currently presents as a double-edged sword for healthcare professionals: resulting in both gains and pains. In the move to VBHC, it is crucial to maintain alignment between the individual, their job activities, the work environment, and the pace at which VBHC unfolds. This is essential for fostering and retaining motivated individuals, who are not only vital to the workforce but also pivotal in advancing VBHC.

Hybrid stochastic and robust optimization of a hybrid system with fuel cell for building electrification using an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm

This paper proposes a hybrid stochastic-robust optimization framework for sizing a photovoltaic/tidal/fuel cell (PV/TDL/FC) system to meet an annual educational building demand based on hydrogen storage via unscented transformation (UT), and information gap decision theory-based risk-averse strategy (IGDT-RA). The hybrid framework integrates the strengths of UT for scenario generation and IGDT-RA (hybrid UT-IGDT-RA) for optimizing the system robustness and maximum uncertainty radius (MRU) of building energy demand and renewable resource generation. The deterministic model focuses on minimizing the cost of energy production over the project’s lifespan (CEPLS) and considers a reliability constraint defined as the demand shortage probability (DSHP). The study utilizes an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm (IAOA) to optimize component sizes and MRUs, incorporating a neighborhood search operator to enhance performance and prevent premature convergence. The deterministic findings revealed that the PV/TDL/FC system configuration offers the lowest CEPLS and the highest reliability level (lowest DSHP) compared to the hybrid PV/FC and TDL/FC configurations. Additionally, these results indicated that enhancing the reliability of the energy supply for the educational building entails higher CEPLS, particularly due to increased costs associated with hydrogen storage. The robust framework findings for the PV/TDL/FC system using IGDT-RA show that for an uncertainty budget of 21%, the MRUs for educational building demand and renewable generation are obtained at 10.34% and 2.65%, respectively, which are higher compared to other configurations. This indicates that the hybrid PV/TDL/FC system is more robust in handling worst-case scenario uncertainties. Furthermore, the hybrid UT-IGDT-RA outcomes found that the stochastic scenarios incorporated to simulate a range of uncertainties beyond the conventional IGDT-RA based-nominal scenario, and it provides a broader range of robust solutions, enabling operators to align strategies with their risk tolerance and improves system flexibility, and decision-making precision in the face of uncertainties.

The analysis of urban collaborative governance in public health emergencies with fuzzy theory based on BP algorithm

This study seeks to improve urban supply chain management and collaborative governance in the context of public health emergencies (PHEs) by integrating fuzzy theory with the Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) algorithm. By combining these two approaches, an early warning mechanism for supply chain risks during PHEs is developed. The study employs Matlab software to simulate supply chain risks, incorporating fuzzy inference techniques with the adaptive data modeling capabilities of neural networks for both training and testing. The results demonstrate that the proposed model effectively identifies factors contributing to supply chain deterioration, with a warning error as low as 0.001, significantly enhancing the accuracy and timeliness of demand forecasting. The BPNN algorithm, through its self-learning and adaptive features, facilitates dynamic optimization and precise scheduling across various stages of the supply chain. This capability is particularly valuable in addressing challenges associated with sudden demand spikes and resource allocation. As a result, the mechanism is able to accurately and promptly identify adverse trends in the supply chain, thereby enhancing the efficiency and flexibility of urban emergency responses, mitigating risks, and offering both theoretical and practical contributions to urban collaborative governance.

Strategic Responses to Employee Well-Being Issues in VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) Conditions: Expanding the JD-R (Job Demands–Resources) Model with Job Crafting

Current work environments, driven by globalization, demographic changes, and digitalization, demand substantial adaptation, which leads to decreased employee well-being. While occupational psychology research has identified supportive mechanisms, it often lacks a deepened understanding of how interventions function. This study aims to analyze the impacts of VUCA contexts and leadership behavior on job crafting, focusing on white-collar workers. Our objective is to identify workplace configurations that safeguard employee health in dynamic settings. Utilizing the JD-R model augmented by job crafting as a theoretical framework, we conducted qualitative comparative case studies using the GABEK® methodology to analyze and systematize data. This approach captures complex organizational interrelationships through sentence analysis, transforming subjective meanings into a comprehensive network and providing deeper insights into organizational dynamics. Research findings reveal that evolving work demands, notably from digital transformations, impact knowledge management, communication, and employee well-being. IT discrepancies and communication deficits intensify work complexity, underscoring the need for enhanced management frameworks. Proactive and adaptive leadership, along with job crafting, is crucial for protecting health and enhancing performance in fast-paced digital environments. These strategies promote structured decision-making and efficient knowledge management, fostering a resource-oriented culture that enhances employee well-being and overall effectiveness.

Online healthcare platform doctors’ fatigue and continuance use intention based on JD-R model

PurposeThe online healthcare platform (OHP) has become an essential element of the healthcare system, representing a technological shift in the job responsibilities of medical professionals. Drawing on a technology-based job demands–resources (JD-R) model, this study aims to examine how the technological characteristics of OHP affect doctors’ OHP use psychology and behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis empirical study was based on a survey conducted among 423 doctors with OHP use experience. The proposed model underwent assessment through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to reveal the effects of technology-based job demands (i.e. technology-based work overload and technology-based work monitoring) and resources (i.e. perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions and IT mindfulness) on doctors’ OHP fatigue and continuance use intention.FindingsResults suggest that technology-based work monitoring, perceived usefulness and facilitation conditions have significant impacts on doctors’ psychological and behavioral responses to using OHP, whereas technology-based work overload and IT mindfulness have a single impact on continuance use intention and fatigue of OHP.Research limitations/implicationsIt assists doctors, healthcare administrators, policymakers and technology developers in understanding OHPs’ technological characteristics, enabling them to harness its benefits and mitigate potential challenges. Additionally, given the self-reported cross-sectional data from China, future studies can improve generalizability and adopt experimental methods or longitudinal designs with objective data.Originality/valueIt extends the research on OHP by employing a technology-based JD-R model to explore work attributes and dual effects associated with OHP’s technological characteristics. It also enriches existing research by examining the role of OHP’s technological characteristics in doctors’ psychological and behavioral responses.

前言：爲什麽應該重視公共健康倫理學的研究？

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English. Public health is widely recognised as a public or collective good with non-rivalrous and non-exclusive traits. Nonetheless, the advancement of public health often demands resource allocation necessitating adherence to ethical standards in governmental policy and administrative practices. The diverse ethical principles of different cultures lead to diverse conceptualisations and implementations of effective policies to enhance public well-being. Hence, comparative cross-cultural analyses can offer valuable insights into pertinent matters. This collection of thematic essays and commentaries within the journal introduces and investigates key topics in research on public health ethics.

Strategy and Performance of Biomethane Production Through Woody Biomass Gasification, Electrolysis and Methanation: A Case Study for Kočevje Region in Slovenia

Increasing energy demand and limited non-renewable energy resources have raised energy security concerns within the European Union. With the EU’s commitment to becoming the first climate-neutral continent, transitioning to renewable energy sources has become essential. While wind and solar energy are intermittent, consistent and reliable green energy sources, such as biogas and biomethane, offer promising alternatives. Biogas and biomethane production from biomass address key challenges, including grid stability (“supply on demand”), decentralized energy production, energy density, and efficient storage and transportation via existing natural gas infrastructure. This study examines technologies for converting woody biomass into biomethane and proposes a conceptual design utilizing the best available technologies. The system, situated in Slovenia’s Kočevje region—one of Europe’s richest forest habitats—was scaled based on the availability of low-quality woody biomass unsuitable for other applications. Combining biomass gasification, catalytic methanation, and biomethanation, supplemented by hydrogen from electrolysis, provides an effective method for converting wood to biomethane. Despite the system’s complexity and current technological limitations in energy efficiency, the findings highlight biomethane’s potential as a reliable energy carrier for domestic and industrial applications.

The dual effects of job design on knowledge hiding: expanding job demands–resources theory to employee rational-choice behaviour

Human resource management (HRM) literature often uses motivational theories to examine how job design motivates employees to manage newly established employee behaviours such as knowledge-hiding. However, the literature finds that whereas job-design characteristics reduce knowledge hiding, others unexpectedly encourage it. By integrating the cost-benefit analysis framework into the job demands–resources (JD–R) theory, we examine how job demands and job resources as two distinct types of job-design characteristics influence the expected costs and benefits of sharing solicited knowledge to affect knowledge hiding differently. In summary, we find that job demands encourage knowledge hiding, whereas job resources lower it. We contribute that job-design characteristics act as job demands or resources to affect knowledge hiding differently. Further, we explain the unexpected findings concerning why and how job-design characteristics – as job demands – encourage knowledge hiding by stimulating the expected costs but do not motivate employees to produce the expected benefits. In addition, by integrating the cost-benefit analysis framework into the JD–R theory, we contribute that job demands and resources affect the cost-benefit analyses, influencing employees’ rational choice behaviour. This integration considerably expands the JD–R theory’s application scope from employee well-being and performance to rational choice behaviours.

Why do leaders reject employee voice: a job demands-resources and conservation of resources approach

PurposeBased on the job demands-resources model (JD-R model) and conservation of resources (COR) approach, this study aims to examine how role overload and leader–leader exchange (LLX) affect leaders’ voice rejection, and explore when the positive relationship between role overload and voice rejection is weakened.Design/methodology/approachThis study used three-wave data from 205 leader–employee pairs and tested the hypothesized moderated mediation model using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping.FindingsResults revealed that two parallel paths influence leaders’ voice rejection. The first path was “LLX → change self-efficacy → voice rejection”, and the second path was “role overload → emotional exhaustion → voice rejection”. LLX weakened the direct relationship between role overload and emotional exhaustion, and weakened the indirect relationship between role overload and voice rejection via emotional exhaustion.Practical implicationsOrganizations need to provide team leaders with additional resources and reduce their workloads to enhance their effectiveness in fulfilling the role of voice managers.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive explanation, according to the JD-R model and COR theory, of how and when job demand and job resource influence leaders’ voice rejection, thereby enhancing our understanding of the formation. It provides new insights into leader voice rejection.

Job Demands And Job Resources as Antecedents of Work Engagement Among Inpatient Nurse in X Hospital

Work engagement within hospitals may be impacted by job demands and job stress, underscoring the necessity to augment work resources as a protective measure. Initial investigations conducted at Hospital X have revealed a deficiency in work engagement, particularly in the absorption aspect. This study seeks to assess the effects of job demands and job resources on work engagement, with job stress serving as a mediating factor. Employing a quantitative survey methodology with a cross-sectional design, the study involved 104 inpatient nurses as participants. The method used is the Three Box Method and statistical analysis. The findings indicate that work engagement escalates with increased job resources, while higher job demands correlate with decreased work engagement. Furthermore, enhancing job resources has the potential to alleviate job stress, whereas elevated job demands are associated with heightened job stress levels. Notably, work engagement diminishes with escalating job stress. Through the mediation of job stress, job resources, and job demands, there is a discernible impact on work engagement.

Duality of Workload in Teams: A Daily Investigation of Team Workload and Team Functioning

While workload has been traditionally studied as a type of challenge stressor with motivational benefits for employees, recent research suggests that the nature of workload is more complex and nuanced than merely eliciting positive reactions. Although this perspective has emerged in the study of workload at the individual level, research on collective workload in teams and the associated team-based mechanisms remains underexplored. Particularly, team-based work arrangements come with both enhanced capabilities to meet task goals and heightened expectations for team members; encountering and handling collective workload can motivate team members’ engagement in collective actions (i.e., team processes) and at the same time drive their appraisals of teamwork experience as depleting. To examine this dual account, we draw from job demands–resources theory to elucidate how and when team workload impacts team effectiveness via both positive and negative pathways. Using daily diary and objective record data collected from 610 employees working in 99 bank branches (i.e., teams) for five workdays, we found daily team workload enhanced daily team processes, which in turn benefited team member satisfaction at the end of each workday and team performance during the study period. We also found daily team workload elevated daily team member depletion, which hindered end-of-work team member satisfaction. Further, we found team members’ perceived task significance and positive affect at the beginning of each workday strengthened and buffered, respectively, the positive association between daily team workload and daily team processes or daily team member depletion. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Psychological well-being of polish teachers and their attitudes towards distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Teachers’ attitudes toward distance education are crucial not only for school operations during the COVID-19 pandemic but also for shaping the future educational landscape by teachers after experiencing distance education. According to the Job Demands–Resources Theory, well-being can be an essential resource in managing workplace challenges. This article aims to describe Polish teachers’ attitudes toward distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these attitudes correlate with their well-being. The study also investigates the relationship between these attitudes and sociodemographic characteristics (such as gender, seniority, employment at different levels of education, and school location). The sample consisted of 447 female (87.99%) and 61 male (12.01%) teachers across various educational institutions, including primary, general secondary technical secondary, and sectoral vocational schools. The geographic distribution of these schools varied, with the smallest number in rural areas (n = 100, 19.69%), bigger in small towns (n = 164, 32.28%), and the largest in big cities (n = 226, 44.49%), whereas 18 people (3.54%) worked in more than one location. The study used Spearman’s rho and ANCOVA to assess correlations between school location and attitudes toward distance education, controlling for well-being. Although Polish teachers were initially reluctant about distance education, they recognized its potential in enhancing their professional competencies, which came as a smooth process. Teachers were confident about using remote education solutions in the future, regardless of external pressures. However, they noted that while remote learning could cover the core curriculum, it was less effective for care and upbringing tasks. An important disadvantage of distance learning, according to respondents, is that it exacerbates students’ differences. In terms of sociodemographic variables, compared to those in rural settings, teachers in large cities held more positive views on remote education. A positive correlation was found between teachers’ well-being and their attitudes toward distance learning during a pandemic, with the exception of teachers working in rural areas. However, in the cities, the higher the psychological well-being, the more positive attitudes toward online education. Well-being can be seen as a resource that helps deal with difficult situations, such as the change in teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic from traditional to distance education. Therefore, it seems important to create a climate in educational institutions that is conducive to strengthening teachers’ well-being resources. In the light of the study results devising solutions to bridge the gap between privileged and underprivileged students seems to be important, especially during a pandemic or similar crise.

FORMATION OF INVESTMENT IDEAS IN THE CONDITIONS OF CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGICAL STRUCTURES OF THE ECONOMY

In the interests of developing theoretical and methodological foundations for the reproduction of fixed capital in industrial economic systems, the methodology for forming an investment idea as the first and most important stage of the investment and construction and life cycle of industrial real estate objects is studied. The existing methodological approach is based on marketing research of the goods and services market, the search for unsatisfied demand, excess material, labor and financial resources and does not take into account the patterns of development and change in technological structures in the world economy, which determine the terms of effective use of fixed capital in industry. Reproduction of fixed capital in industry, as is known, is carried out in the form of capital investments - investments in fixed capital. These are the costs of expanded reproduction of fixed capital in the form of construction of new industrial facilities, their expansion, reconstruction and technical re-equipment and the costs of simple reproduction of fixed capital in the form of major and current repairs of industrial facilities, including the costs of design and survey work, production of construction and installation works, acquisition of machines, equipment and other costs. Considering that fixed capital in the economic systems of industry dominates over circulating capital in terms of investment volume, and the terms of its effective use determine the return and profitability of costs for expanded and simple reproduction of fixed capital in industry, this study proposes to base the methodological approach to the formation of an investment plan on the patterns of evolution and change of technological structures of the economy that determine the development of industry.

High-Entropy Electrocatalysts for Seawater Splitting

Due to the consumption of primary energy, the demand for renewable energy is increasing. Because of its high energy density and zero carbon emissions, water electrolysis to produce hydrogen is an ideal and clean energy choice. However, fresh water is a high demand resource for people's livelihood which only takes less 3 percent in the full water resource. Therefore, exploring the use of seawater, which accounts for over 70% of the earth, as a source for seawater splitting is worthwhile. We need to find a more efficient and long-last catalyst to avoid the chorine evolution, a competition reaction during oxygen evolution (OER), causing the corrosion process to suppress the life span of catalyst for usage of the seawater to produce hydrogen. High entropy materials, a potential promising catalyst candidate, due to their tunable electronic structures leading to a much lower OER overpotential and corrosion resistance. In this work. we use a pulsed laser irradiation scanning on mixed salt solutions (PLMS) method to produce a six elements high entropy ceramic nanoparticles as OER catalyst for efficient and stable work in seawater environments. The (AlCoCrFeMnNi)O high-entropy ceramic (HEC) we proposed demonstrate a great performance in the seawater environment. The onset voltage of oxygen-evolution can low down to 1.47V vs. RHE, and in terms of stability our catalyst is capable to operate for 1000 hours under 100mA/cm2. Furthermore, to understand the mechanism behind our (AlCoCrFeMnNi)O HEC, the in-situ XAS (X-ray absorption spectroscopy) measurement and In-situ EXAFS are carried out in this work under different OER voltage applied. Co, Mn, and Ni identified as the active sites of OER and these three elements work intimately together with each different reaction routes, including the adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) and lattice oxygen-participated mechanism (LOM). While Al, Cr, and Fe are not directly contributed to the catalytic activity but they play important roles to stabilize the high entropy structure during the whole reaction. Figure 1

How and When Perception of Organizational Politics Triggers Workplace Deviance: A Moderated-Mediation Model of Authentic Leadership and Organizational Cynicism

This article explores the effect of perceived organizational politics on workplace deviance under the theoretical rationale of social exchanges and the job demand resource model. In addition, it investigates the mediating role of organizational cynicism and the moderating role of authentic leadership in this process. This moderated-mediation model of the study was tested using PLS-SEM technique on data of employees of six different public sector universities situated in the southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Results found that perceived organizational politics is directly and positively related to workplace deviance. We found partial support of the mediation of organizational cynicism between the direct perceived organizational politics-workplace deviance relationship. We further revealed that these direct and indirect relationships are not constant but vanish where employees work under a highly authentic leadership climate and vice versa. In this way, this study broadens the research on the perceived organizationalpolitics-workplace deviance relationship by introducing a novel mediator of organizational cynicism. This study further contributes to the literature by exploring authentic leadership as the bounder condition for both direct and indirect relationships. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

The Effect of Red Tape on Employability Competences of Teachers

Red tape forms a major threat to many public organizations around the world. Building on the Job Demands–Resources model, supplemented by arguments from the psychological process theory of red tape, this study explores how and when red tape affects teachers’ employability competences (i.e., balance, anticipation and optimization, and personal flexibility). Analyses ( N = 908 teachers; 92 school leaders) revealed a negative relationship between red tape, on one hand, and balance and personal flexibility, on the other hand, through perceived impact on work outcomes. Interestingly, the analyses also revealed that when organizations provide sufficient developmental rewards to their employees, the negative consequences of red tape on perceived impact are buffered, which indirectly also benefits employees’ balance and personal flexibility.

Examining the dark side of quality management: analysing work overload, exhaustion and managerial support using a moderated mediation approach

PurposeIn this study, we propose a model for analysing the association between total quality management (TQM) and exhaustion, which considers work overload as a mediation variable and investigates perceptions of managerial support as a moderating condition. Through the job demands–resources model, the study sheds light on the dilemma about the negative implications of TQM for employees.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model of relationships is analysed using matched employee–organisation survey data from two R&D-intensive sectors in Spain. Structural equation models are employed to examine the proposed relationships.FindingsOnly perceptions of hard TQM trigger a health-impairment process which increases work overload and exhaustion, whereas soft TQM decreases exhaustion and does not have negative consequences for employee well-being. We also find that managerial support can alleviate the consequences of hard TQM on exhaustion due to work overload.Originality/valuePrevious research has mainly assumed that TQM is welcomed by employees. With the aim of warning of the potential negative consequences of TQM on employees, this paper goes beyond previous contributions by analysing how hard and soft TQM may have different consequences on employees’ exhaustion and how managerial support may mitigate the negative repercussions.

Predicting wind turbine energy production with deep learning methods in GIS: A study on HAWTs and VAWTs

The increasing global demand for renewable energy necessitates accurate forecasting methods to optimize wind energy production, particularly in regions with varying climatic conditions. This study addresses this need by utilizing advanced deep learning techniques and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to estimate the energy output of wind turbines. Specifically, it focuses on predicting the energy production of both horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) using a combination of Markov and Cellular Automata-Markov (CA-Markov) models, alongside deep learning methods such as long short-term memory (LSTM), LSTM-Wavelet, and Support Vector Regression (SVR). Additionally, the study evaluates the energy output of each turbine type, factoring in their construction costs within the study area. The analysis reveals significant variations in energy output over time, with maximum values increasing from 85,017 Wh in 2000 to 166,050 Wh in 2020 in the northern region, while minimum outputs also rose significantly. Projections for 2030 suggest that approximately 17% of the northern region experience a substantial increase in wind power potential. Among the forecasting methods, the LSTM-Wavelet hybrid model demonstrated superior accuracy, surpassing the 90% threshold, primarily due to its effective handling of data instability and noise reduction. This study underscores the potential of using sophisticated modeling techniques to enhance wind energy forecasting, contributing to more efficient energy management in regions with high energy demand and limited resources.

Sustainable Leadership for Employee Performance and the Moderating Roles of Family-Work Conflict and Work Pressure: The Job Demands–Resources Perspective

Sustainable Leadership for Employee Performance and the Moderating Roles of Family-Work Conflict and Work Pressure: The Job Demands–Resources Perspective

The dark side of digital external networking: A job demands–resources perspective

Digital transformation, networked value creation, and new technologies expose managers to new forms of work. In light of blurring organizational boundaries and increasing technology use, they increasingly face the challenge of digitally managing relationships with external stakeholders. The objective of this study is to provide insight into the potential adverse effects of digital external networking. Drawing on the job demands–resources model, we propose that digital external networking depletes managers' energetic resources, which may lead to an individual job performance breakdown via higher emotional exhaustion and lower work engagement. Results from a survey among 129 executives of the German Red Cross uncover and partially support this ‘dark side’ of digital external networking. Additionally, our research indicates that managers can reduce their perceived emotional exhaustion and increase work engagement by utilizing personal resources such as networking ability and digital technology commitment.