Unsatisfactory Working Conditions Research Articles

Work-related factors and individual characteristics affecting work ability of different age groups

From the perspective of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), the concept of work ability is based on the balance between individual characteristics and work demands. If the personal characteristics of the worker meet the work demands, then work could be part of a healthy life. However, work might affect worker’s health due to physical or psychosocial factors that do not meet worker’s abilities and expectations.Older workers are probably facing additional challenges in comparison to younger ones. Several studies have shown that Work Ability Index (WAI) decreases with factors such as ageing, unsatisfactory working conditions, poor organisation management and lack of freedom. Improvements in the working environment and ergonomic equipment are factors positively affecting WAI.A nationwide study on the ageing workforce has been conducted during 2018 in Cyprus. Based on information elicited through questionnaires and interviews, the factors affecting positively and negatively the ability to work have been identified on different age groups. Variables such as work demands and the work environment, features of work organisations, characteristics of company/ organisation, as well as employee characteristics, have been evaluated as potential factors affecting the ability/performance of the workers. Our findings indicate that personal characteristics are more crucial than work demands and working environment for the performance of the workers of all age groups and that poor ergonomic conditions particularly affect older workers. Also, health status and sleeping quality might be major factors affecting all age groups, while gender and years of experience affect younger workers.

Human resources for nephrology in South Africa: A mixed-methods study.

The global nephrology workforce is shrinking and, in many countries, is unable to meet healthcare needs. Accurate data pertaining to human resources in nephrology in South Africa is lacking. This data is critical for the planning and delivery of renal services and the training of nephrologists in South Africa to meet the challenge of the growing burden of chronic kidney disease. A cross-sectional study of adult and paediatric nephrologists currently delivering nephrology services in South Africa was conducted. Participants were identified using various data sources, including the register of the Health Professions Council of South Africa. This cohort of doctors was described in terms of their demographics and distribution. A survey was then conducted among these nephrologists to collect additional information on their training, scope of practice, job satisfaction, challenges and future plans. Finally, two focus group interviews were conducted to probe themes identified from the survey data. A total of 120 adult nephrologists and 22 paediatric nephrologists were identified (an overall density of 2.5 per million population). There is a male predominance (66%) and the median age is 45 years. The bulk of the workforce (128 nephrologists, 92%) is distributed in three of the nine South African provinces, and two provinces have no nephrologist at all. The survey was completed by 57% of the nephrologists. Most reported positive attitudes to their chosen profession; however, 35 nephrologists (43%) reported an excessive workload, 9 (11%) were planning emigration and 15 (19%) were planning early retirement. A higher frequency of dissatisfaction regarding remuneration (39% vs. 15%) and unsatisfactory work conditions (35% vs. 13%) was observed amongst nephrologists working in the public sector compared to the private sector. A total of 13 nephrologists participated in the focus group interviews. The themes which were identified included that of a rewarding profession, an overall shortage of nephrologists, poor career planning, a need for changes to nephrologists' training, excessive workloads with inadequate remuneration, and challenging work environments. There are insufficient numbers of nephrologists in South Africa, with a markedly uneven distribution amongst the provinces and healthcare sectors. Qualitative data indicate that South African nephrologists are faced with the challenges of a high workload, obstructive policies and unsatisfactory remuneration. In the public sector, a chronic lack of nephrologist posts and other resources are additional challenges. A substantial proportion of the workforce is contemplating emigration.

Maintenance of Labor Resources as Fundamentals of Sustainable Manufacturing Development

It is impossible to ensure sustainable business development without solving the maintenance of labor resources issues that are included in the manufacturing process, as well as involving new employees to increase labor potential. The company can effectively confront the new challenges by attracting highly qualified employees for whom a high level of safety is important. Therefore, an important direction of sustainable business development is to increase the level of safety and create a comfortable working environment and optimize working processes to increase the efficiency of production activities, as well as prepare for the challenges that may arise in the process of company development. The article analyzes the statistics and structure of the socio-economic damage to business due to unsatisfactory working conditions and a high level of injuries on the example of the machine-building sector, and also considers aspects of maintenance of labor resources and ways to involve additional labor resources to ensure sustainable manufacturing development. Based on conducted analysis, an algorithm of implementation of managerial decisions was developed, aimed at ensuring the safety of personnel who carry out the work activities at the workplace, taking into account the modern concept of the “green workplace”. Involvement in the working process of additional labor reserves is carried out by creating favorable working conditions, assessing the special needs and level of ability of workers for optimization of working processes and increasing their efficiency.
 Keywords: Labor Resources, Sustainable Development, Safety, Disability.

NEONATOLOGISTS AT THE OBSTETRIC ORGANIZATIONS OF MEGAPOLIS: OCCUPATIONAL ACTIVITY AND ATTITUDE TO THE OCCUPATION

Materials and methods. An anonymous survey of 146 neonatologists working in obstetric organizations in the city St. Petersburg was conducted. Mathematical data processing was carried out using spreadsheets “MS Office Excel 2010” and the statistical software package PASW STATISTICS. Results. 36.4% of neonatologists working in obstetric organizations believe the occupational standard “Neonatologist” fails to fully reflect all their duties. Neonatologists call the functions associated with the implementation of medical work to be the most important labor functions included in the Occupational Standard, sanitary and educational work and activities related to the maintenance of accounting and medical records are believed to be the least important. 29.1% of neonatologists of obstetric care organizations work for more than one rate, 28.6% of doctors do not work on schedule, 58.4% have a feeling of overwork. Conclusions. Despite the fact that most neonatologists have chosen their occupation by vocation and because of love for children, more than half of the doctors are partially or completely disappointed with their work, most often due to unsatisfactory working conditions and its financial support. High workload and labor intensity, observed by almost 30% of neonatologists, can lead to an increase in the risk of medical error and a decrease in the quality of medical care. 51.7% of doctors are partially or completely unsatisfied with their work. The main reasons for the dissatisfaction of neonatologists are significant physical and psychological stress (36.6%) and low wages (34.4%). Neonatologists working in maternity hospitals (departments) are 26.8% less likely than doctors at neonatologists at perinatal centers to work at the same rate and 57.1% less often than during working hours but have a higher labor intensity during the working day. Neonatologist working in perinatal centers, to a greater extent than doctors in maternity hospitals (departments), are not satisfied with the conditions and financial support of their activities and are 24.1% more likely to perform occupational duties that are not part of the professional standard “Neonatologist”. Most neonatologists working in obstetric organizations have chosen their profession by calling (58.5%) and because of their love for children (62.8%), they fully feel responsible for the quality of their work (99.3%), they do not want to change their medical specialty (93.5%) and are satisfied with the choice of occupation (93.3%).

The formula for determining motivation indicators in the occupational risk management system

Improper organization of production, unsatisfactory working conditions, industrial accidents and occupational diseases cause serious economic losses for the government and employers. The labor protection management system formed during the Soviet era cannot reduce occupational injuries and morbidity, does not encourage employers to improve working conditions, and requires modernization. The article deals with motivation indicators in the occupational risk management system. Much attention is paid to the hazard prevention method aimed at identifying and analyzing circumstances causing dangerous situations. In assessing the motivation indicators and competence in the production and occupational risk management system, employee’s abilities to identify, evaluate and manage occupational risks, knowledge of occupational safety requirements, personal characteristics, skills, and experience in occupational safety are analyzed. It allows for reduction of the individual occupational risk level. The article concludes that it is necessary to study scientific and methodological foundations of an informative, simple, objective and understandable ORMS which includes motivation and competence indicators, to solve actual scientific and practical labor protection problems which are studied by Russian and EU experts.

Social Representations of Homicide Investigations by Judges, Prosecutors and Police: A Case Study from the Metropolitan Area of Brasilia

This article examines homicide in the Metropolitan Area of Brasilia (MAB), analysing social representations from elites in the criminal justice system, including police chiefs, prosecutors and judges. It draws on the theory of social representations (TSR) to explore the imaginaries constructed around the criminal justice system’s inability to adequately investigate the rise in homicides. The representations from focus group participants highlight a lack of resources, infrastructure, equipment and human resources, as well as unsatisfactory working conditions. In seeking to understand and situate themselves in new realities and contexts, these elite criminal justice actors ultimately place themselves within the available reserve of knowledge, in which they claim that ‘nothing works’. Hence, this enables these powerful actors to justify themselves and blame others, while denying their inability to adequately investigate homicides. A hidden rationale emerges that represents the homicide victims of drug crimes and gang feuds as unworthy of investigation.

메디칼에스테티션의 이직실태와 이직결정 요인에 관한 연구

A survey was conducted from October 12th to November 7th, 2017 to investigate the actual status of the departure of medical estheticians and the determinants of turnover. A total of 47 questionnaires were used for the analysis. The subjects were 97.9% women and 48.9% were aged between 20-25 years. The majority of subjects were college graduates (72.3%) who had majored in beauty studies (83.0%). 53.2% of subjects reported their salary ranged from 1.5 million to 2 million won. 72.3% hold the position of skin care manager and 31.9% had work experience of less than one year. One of the main reasons for working in a hospital was the prospect to be a professional (46.8%). 51% of subjects considered the decade of the 30s as being the maximum age to work in a hospital setting, which means that they did not consider medical esthetician as a lifetime job. 75.5% had experienced at least one turnover, and the main reasons were unsatisfactory working conditions (26.7%) and salary (25.0%), and the matter of aptitude and supervisor (23.1%). After leaving the hospital, 51.1% were reemployed in a hospital. This study is meaningful in that it has grasped the actual conditions of the departure of medical estheticians and the determinants of turnover within this population. However, it would be difficult to generalize the results as the subjects were collected only in one region. Further in-depth research is suggested for efficient human resource management of medical estheticians.

Occupational Stress: An Analysis of the Causes

Objective: This paper seeks to deliberate on the causes of occupational stress with reference to unmanageable workload, job insecurity, sexual harassment, workplace discrimination and employer’s unlawful conduct. Analysis: Excessive or unmanageable demands, insufficient support from co-workers and unsatisfactory working conditions may affect staff-motivation and productiveness. The main thing is to analyse that, the long-term stress or traumatic events at work may have affect the workers physically and psychologically. Method: Job uncertainty due to impending retrenchment, restructuring or management changes and hostile work environment could also give rise to occupational stress. Occupational stress often results in high dissatisfaction among the employees in terms of job mobility, burnout and poor work performance and less effective interpersonal relations at work. Findings: In the event of breach of this duty by the employer, apart from alleging constructive dismissal, the employee may be able to recover compensation for non-pecuniary loss such as mental distress or the effect of the dismissal on employee’s reputation or the chances of finding other employment. Result: The employer may also expose himself to a civil claim for negligence or a failure to provide a safe place of work. These causes of actions relate in deed to occupational or workplace stress, discussed in this article.

Reverse flow in academic mobility from core to periphery: motivations of international faculty working in Kazakhstan

Through expanding flows of labor and knowledge on a global scale, academics are increasingly mobile as higher education institutions compete for talent that transcends borders. However, talent often flows from the periphery to the core as scholars seek out employment in recognized institutions of higher learning in developed economies. This study examines faculty mobility in a reverse direction: from the core to Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia. What factors persuade faculty members to relocate to Kazakhstan for full-time employment? What types of individuals pursue this relocation? Through interviews with international faculty members based in Kazakhstan, the study identifies push factors that trigger departure from one’s previous country of residence: job market, unsatisfactory work conditions, age, and marital status. Alternatively, Kazakhstan attracts scholars via pull factors that include salary, sense of adventure, and the opportunity to build new institutions and programs as well as conduct research. Unlike previous studies that highlight boundaryless mobility and individual agency, this study reveals constraints that mediate international faculty mobility. Furthermore, salary plays a limited role as a pull factor particularly among early career academics who are seeking research opportunities and meaningful contributions in building new academic programs and institutions.

The making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Peter Gilliver

Reviewed by: The making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Peter Gilliver R. W. McConchie The making of the Oxford English Dictionary. By Peter Gilliver. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. Pp. xvii, 625. ISBN 9780199283620. $65 (Hb). Peter Gilliver’s book on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) traces the genesis of the OED and its history over the next century and a half. This work is erudite, massively learned, and meticulously documented and, by some magic instilled into it, both informative and entertaining. The reader will come away with a greatly enhanced respect for the OED and all its manifold excellences and perceived faults, and those of its many successors, having seen in detail the human effort, skill, sacrifice, drama, and the relentless drive for excellence that have gone into its pages since its official inception at the Philological Society in 1857. The book traces the history of this ground-breaking dictionary, beginning with the ideas and influences that fed into its conception, through the generations of editors who created it, the many people who worked for it and supported it, the vicissitudes which beset it, including deaths, the loss of data, precarious negotiations with the publishers, the struggle to contain the mountains of data within agreed page limits, the vagaries of readers supplying quotations, lack of resources and unsatisfactory working conditions, and so on. We meet the tireless and dedicated James Murray, the energetic but irascible Frederick Furnivall, and a host of other characters who demand our understanding and respect. Lexicographers may perhaps be drudges, but dull they are not. The book ends with the present state of progress toward the third edition of the OED as it deals with a rapidly changing technological world and new lexicographical challenges. G’s claim on the first page of the preface that his being an insider and a working lexicographer is of some advantage is amply justified at every turn in this book; indeed, we might realistically claim that this perspective is a fundamental animating principle of this work, giving as it does an empathy for and intimate understanding of the demands involved. G does not specifically point out, as well he might, that he is also a long-standing employee of the Oxford University Press (OUP), and hence not simply a lexicographer; this gives him a still more nuanced view of the tensions between the publisher and its employees and representatives and the dictionary and its lexicographers. It is no mean feat to digest the multitudinous minutes of meetings, letters, records of negotiations between the OUP delegates, the dictionary editors, and various other interested parties—in short, a mass of minutiae—into a readable and even suspenseful narrative, but G has pulled it off admirably. The richness of documentary material that underpins this book is remarkable. G has a long and complex story to tell, and he keeps strictly to it, ignoring the obvious temptation of allowing other narratives to intervene. For example, regarding the now well-known and unfortunate history of Dr. William Minor and his immensely valuable work for the OED, only the latter gets some brief attention (see Winchester 1998). The fascinating details of the life and extramural activities of the irrepressible Frederick Furnivall are likewise eschewed. Even his relentless formation of and work with learned societies to provide printed text for the dictionary, while discussed, are not overly stressed. A somewhat questionable omission was Murray’s conflict with C. A. M. Fennell; Murray laid anxious charges of plagiarism against the editor of the Stanford dictionary of anglicised words and phrases, published in Cambridge in 1892. G mentions this at slightly more length, but omits any consideration of Sarah Ogilvie’s research on the justice of these claims (Ogilvie 2013). This seems odd, given that her book is referred to several times for other matters, and this imbroglio raised in a very specific form the more general question of the place and treatment of foreign words and ‘denizens’ in the dictionary—always a problematic issue. The story of the dictionary (and the dictionaries it spawned) becomes very complicated, especially as it moves into the mid-twentieth century, but G again explicitly rejects the temptation to...

SPATIAL ANALYSIS ON HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG UNORGANIZED INDUSTRIAL WORKERS IN AMBEDKARNAGAR DISTRICT, INDIA

Health status is one of the important indicators for the welfare of people. People working in unorganized sector are exploited in terms of working hours, low and irregular income, unsatisfactory work conditions, no legal protection and exposed to occupational health hazards. Present study aims to analyze a spatial dimension of occupational health outcomes among the cottage industry workers and their socioeconomic conditions. Based on field survey, the result shows that there is an association between different categories of industries and various health problems which leads respiratory and muscular problem, skin disease, and stress and sleep disturbances. There should be a strong provision for occupational health services, carrying out activities in the work place in the aim of protecting and promoting worker’s safety, health and well-being.

The National Programme for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Health Care and the work process organization.

This qualitative study analises the National Programme for Improvement of Access and Quality of the Basic Health Care focusing on the reorganization of work processes: self-evaluation, continuous education, institutional support and monitoring. Based on document analysis, direct observations and interviews with workers in the Federal District. The results point to lack of training of team members for the adherence to the programme; parcial/distorted view about its proposal; weakenesses in the monitoring; incipient self-evaluations processes; lack of institutional support; inadequate permanent education; unsatisfactory working conditions; and deficits in the support diagnosys network. It should be considered that changes in work processes require time to be implemented and that improvement in the quality of services goes beyound prescriptions and fullfilment of standards and norms.

Disentangling Effects of Age and Career Preferences on the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention and Behavior: An Examination in Three Samples

Given the growing concern for managing an aging workforce, the generally lower inclination for voluntary turnover of older employees can be considered good news for companies. However, there is also evidence that certain unsatisfactory working conditions will prompt higher turnover intention among these employees. Our study aimed to disentangle the effects of age-related and age-independent preferences in the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention and behavior. We particularly analyzed the role of independent career orientation additionally to age and hypothesized a three-way interaction such that lower job satisfaction would be related to higher turnover intention and behavior for older employees with a stronger independent career orientation. We found support for this hypothesis in two large cross-sectional surveys of employees ( N s = 1,416, 1,446) and a time-lagged study ( N = 146) in which actual turnover was measured 3.5 years after the assessment of job satisfaction and career orientation. Our findings add to the aging, career, and turnover literatures by showing that both age-related life stage preferences and relatively age-independent career preferences act together in moderating the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover. We discuss practical implications for HR management regarding employee retention and career counseling.

The work in prison: reflections on the health of prison officers.

to understand the working conditions of prison officers and the repercutions of labor activity on their health. qualitative and descriptive research. Data were collected through open interviews with the prison officers of a regional prision and the speeches were submitted to content analysis. the results showed unsatisfactory working conditions due to poor material resources and neglect of governmental regarding rehabilitation of convicts, resulting in workers' exposure to psychosocial risks, dissatisfaction, and emotional distress. investments on the security of workers may contribute to their health promotion.

Labour banks for sustainable agricultural development-an enquiry into the determinantsand barriers of joining

Labour scarcity is emerging as a threat to sustainable agricultural development, which put the farmers as well as consumers in trouble through its widespread ramifications. This study analyses labourer's joining decision in Labour Banks and barriers for joining. Logistic regression model revealed that experience, and primary occupation status positively influenced labourer's joining decision in Labour Banks, whereas age negatively influenced the joining decision. Work in distant places and lack of interest were found to be the most important barriers for joining in Labour Banks followed by unsatisfactory work conditions, lack of awareness and working as permanent labourer. The study suggested that proper government support, enhancement of the training programmes so as to provide more skilled labourers to these groups, and replication of this model to other areas after making necessary modifications suited for the local situations, will help to address the issue of lack of availability of skilled labourers in agriculture.

The Effects of Unsatisfactory Working Conditions on Productivity in the Construction Industry

The construction industry has been experiencing chronic problems such as poor health and safety (H&S), inferior working conditions, and non-achievement of quality, which have had an adverse effect on construction productivity, overall performance, and image.A descriptive survey was conducted among medium to large general contractor (GC) members of the East Cape Master Builders Association (ECMBA).The salient findings include: construction workers are exposed to excessive noise levels; material shortages affect productivity more than other related factors; the non-achievement of quality negatively affects the image of the construction industry more than other factors; construction worker morale and satisfaction is substantially affected by inadequate supervision; the quality of life of construction workers is rated between poor to near poor, and working conditions on construction sites are rated as poor to average.It can be concluded that unsatisfactory working conditions negatively affect productivity in the construction industry. Furthermore, the image of the construction industry is tarnished.

Factors influencing nurse absenteeism in a general hospital in Durban, South Africa

To establish reasons for absenteeism amongst professional nurses, enrolled nurses and enrolled nurse auxiliaries in a general hospital in Durban, in order to recommend strategies that could decrease absenteeism. Nurses endure increased workload, resulting in burnout and absenteeism in workplace environments that already suffer staff shortages. This study was a quantitative, non-experimental survey. The study population consisted of 60 nurses, including professional and enrolled nurses and enrolled nurse auxiliaries. The survey consisted of closed-ended questions to options of 'agree' and 'disagree' and an open-ended section. Family matters, lack of motivation to attend work, illness, finance, favouritism, unfriendly nurse managers, long work hours, increased workload, unsatisfactory work conditions, lack of equipment, unfair promotions and selection of nurses for training, staff shortages, lack of a reward system and incoherent decision-making caused nurse absenteeism. Personal, professional and organisational factors may cause nurse absenteeism, crippling the health sector further against the backdrop of human and mechanical resource shortage. Nurse managers have an important role in reducing absenteeism by addressing the employees' concerns, which can lead to productivity, increased staff morale, decreased medical hazards and satisfied patients.

FACTORS OF WORK ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH STATUS OF WORKERS IN CONDITION OF PLASTIC INDUSTRY OF SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Background: Some work environments can greatly affect human health especially in cases where workers are exposed to both detrimental conditions and noxious agents in the work-place and also harmful environmental and lifestyle factors. Aims: Because of the potential human toxicities of phthalates there was realized a cohort study in environmentally exposed group of individuals in plastic industry. Methods: AQM60 Environmental Station, DustTrak DRX8533 and VaisalaWXT520 was used for the air quality detection. Urine were collected from 22 individuals, analyzed for parent phthalate compounds and hthalate metabolites using HPLC MS/MS. Personal questionnaire, spirometry and anthropometry were examined by standard methods. Results: CO, NOx, SO2, CO2, VOC, PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and total dust were detected in the production hall at higher levels. Symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4.5%) and chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (50.0%) were detected. There was a tendency towards increased for man and women in BMI (26.8; 28.2), FMI (6.2; 11.0), FFMI (20.4; 17.21) and WHR (0.96; 0.89). All individuals had MEP – monoethyl phthalate, MBP – monobuthyl phthalate, MEHP – monoethylhexyl phthalate and MiNP – monoisononyl phthalate in their urine samples, suggesting widespread phthalate exposure. Tolerable daily intake (TDI) was exceeded in di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate DEHP (59 ?g/kg/day). DiNP (diisononyl phthalate) was higher in individuals with airways diseases (7.24 ?g/kg/day) than others. Conclusions: Unsatisfactory working conditions (combination of higher temperature, low relative humidity, presence of phthalates) may have a negative impact on human health. We suppose on potential effect of phthalate exposure as a causative factor for presence of airways diseases. This study is the result of implementation of projects: “Environmental aspects of urban area” (ITMS: 26220220110) supported by the Research & Development Operational Programme funded by the ERDF; VEGA (I/0042/12).

Factors Associated with Occupational Stress and Their Effects on Organizational Performance in a Sudanese University

Occupational stress has a significant impact on student learning and thereby on the contribution that such institutions can make to society. This affects organizational performance by reducing productivity and efficiency which affect the organization negatively. The aim of the current study was to determine the factors associated with occupational stress and their relationship with organizational performance at one of the private universities in Sudan. A total of 150 male and female employees from different departments and with various educational levels in the main building of the university were randomly selected. Data was collected using a questionnaire with background questions, job stressors such as role conflict and ambiguity, lack of participation in decision making, lack of authority, workload, unsatisfactory working conditions and interpersonal relationships, and statements about the effect on organisational performance. Questions were based on three- and four-point scale. Responses were grouped in terms of scores to show the level of job stress. Descriptive statistics was carried out using SPSS programme. Results indicated that on average the employees experienced high degree of job stress. Job stressors affected the general physical health of employees, their job satisfaction and performance as well as their commitment negatively. Similar findings were reported in other studies. The study recommended that the university needs to elevate the situation and resolve all the factors affecting the employees by for example increasing the number of staff needed to perform the tasks and/or decreasing the number of students enrolled.

Reasons for leaving nursing: A study among Turkish nurses

Background: Reasons for the growing nursing shortage are often complex and multidimensional. Aim: To explore the phenomenon of why Turkish nurses leave nursing. Methods: The sample in this descriptive study was 134 nurses who had left the profession. A snowball sampling method was used to identify subjects and multiple methods were used to elicit reasons for leaving. Data analysis included descriptive statistics. Results: The main reasons for leaving nursing were related to unsatisfactory working conditions and a negative perception of nursing. Of the respondents, 69.4% received education in a non-nursing field. The most popular career choice was teaching (27.6%). The results of this study indicate that working conditions and public opinion adversely affect a nurse’s interest in the profession. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate a need to improve working conditions and to approach this subject from a multidimensional perspective.