Work Life Research Articles

Young Gamers Outside Education, Employment or Training: Translating Computer Gaming Skills to Job Relevant Competencies

9.5 per cent of people aged between 15 and 29 in Norway are ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) (Statistisk sentralbyrå, 2022). NEET status is generally associated with several negative factors, such as lack of social mobility, poverty, negative socioeconomic status and persistent exclusion from education and work life (Wrigley, 2017). Work exclusion represents a significant challenge on both a macroeconomic level and for the individuals who experience work exclusion. The perspective of computer games as learning tools has resulted in an increased interest in how games can generate positive changes in the player (Gee, 2007; McGonigal, 2012). From the perspective of career guidance, it is central to look at whether the positive changes and the learning such change implies can be used to develop career competencies and skills that are attractive for the world of work. This paper reports on a project to develop, conduct, study and evaluate an occupational training program for 15 young gamers between the ages of 18 and 30 classified as NEET. The research question for the project is how participants in a work preparation course experience computer gaming as an arena for developing career competencies and skills and how these skills and competencies may contribute to the participants’ employability

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Paradigm Shift towards Organizational Care for Employees’ Wellbeing

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained significant attention in recent years, with organizations increasingly focusing on their impact on society and the environment. However, while many organizations prioritize external stakeholders, the well-being of internal stakeholders, particularly employees, is often overlooked. This article contends that an authentic socially responsible organization should care for the well-being of both external and internal stakeholders equally. Through a literature review, this study examined the concept of CSR in the context of employees’ well-being. It developed a conceptual framework to theorize how deliberate organizational initiatives can improve employees' overall well-being, ultimately contributing to their quality of work life and life satisfaction. The study highlights the importance of responsible organizations demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility towards their employees through organizational care and implementing sound workplace practices and policies. This study emphasizes the need for increased attention to the internal dimensions of CSR and greater transparency in reporting structured practices that support employees’ well-being.

The impact of generative AI on the scholarly communications of early career researchers: An international, multi‐disciplinary study

AbstractThe Harbingers study of early career researchers (ECRs), their work life and scholarly communications, began by studying generational—Millennial—change (c.2016), then moved to pandemic change (c.2020) and is now investigating another potential agent of change: artificial intelligence (2024–). We report here on a substantial scoping pilot study that looks at the impact of AI on the scholarly communications of international ECRs and, extends this to the arts and humanities. It aims to fill the knowledge gap concerning ECRs whose millennial mindset may render them especially open to change and, as the research workhorses they are, very much in the frontline. The data was collected via in‐depth interviews in China, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Spain and (selectively) the United Kingdom/United States. The data show ECRs to be thinking, probing and, in some cases, experimenting with AI. There was a general acceptance that AI will be responsible for the growth of low‐quality scientific papers, which could lead to a decline in the quality of research. Scholarly integrity and ethics were a big concern with issues of authenticity, plagiarism, copyright and poor citation practices raised. The most widespread belief was AI would prove to be a transformative force and would exacerbate existing scholarly disparities and inequalities.

The Influence of Work Life Balance and Employee Rotation on Performance with Job Satisfaction as an Intervening Media at the State Asset and Auction Service Office, Palembang

This study aims to determine and prove the Influence of Work Life Balance and Employee Rotation on Performance with Job Satisfaction as an Intervening Media at the Palembang State Asset and Auction Service Office, both directly and indirectly. The population in this study were employees at the Palembang State Asset and Auction Service Office, totaling 37 people. Sampling in this study used the Saturated Sample technique, namely sampling was carried out randomly from the population. So in this study, the number used was 37 employees as research samples. Data analysis used in this study was by using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis method which was operated through the Partial Least Square (PLS) program. The results of this study indicate that, the Work Life Balance variable affects Job Satisfaction, the Employee Rotation variable affects Job Satisfaction, the Work Life Balance variable affects Performance, the Employee Rotation variable affects Performance, the Job Satisfaction variable affects Performance, the Work Life Balance variable affects Performance with Job Satisfaction as an Intervening variable, the Employee Rotation variable affects Performance with Job Satisfaction as an Intervening variable.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB CRAFTING AND WORK LIFE BALANCE IN CIVIL SERVANT TEACHERS AT SMA NEGERI 1 LUBUK ALUNG

The purpose of this study is to see if there is a relationship between job crafting and work-life balance in civil servant teachers at SMA Negeri 1 Lubuk Alung. This research is quantitative with a correlational approach. The subjects of this study are 44 civil servant teachers at SMA Negeri 1 Lubuk Alung. The data of this study was collected using a likert scale consisting of two scales, namely the work life balance scale and the job crafting scale. The research sampling technique is using total sampling.The data analysis method used in this study is Pearson's Product Moment method. The results of the study showed that there was a positive relationship between job crafting and work-life balance in civil servant teachers at SMA Negeri 1 Lubuk Alung. The correlation test produced a correlation coefficient of 0.403 and a significance level of 0.007. Job crafting contributes 16.3% to the work-life balance of civil servant teachers at SMA Negeri 1 Lubuk Alung.

‘Re-coupling site’ of social media and the workplace in digital nomadism: Chinese female workers’ self-produced vlogs with class and gender connotations

ABSTRACT We observe that a new, minor genre of resistance has emerged among female worker vloggers. Whether working in manufacturing plants or on construction sites, these female worker vloggers actively produce videos about the laughter and tears of their work lives. Their workplaces constitute the central source of their daily vlog production. We develop a concept of ‘re-coupling site’ to explore how these female vloggers transform conventional workplaces into novel digital sites, simultaneously turning themselves into digital laborers, to articulate their voices, perform their work identities, and enact their daily resistance. This concept helps induce a new interpretation of place and placed experience to fashion our understanding of working-class digital nomadism in the Global South context, where digital and cultural production can happen at work. Perhaps more importantly, the class and gender experiences articulated in their vlogs have been translated into collective practices that potentially foreground the formation of class-based online communities.

Characteristics and Experiences of Employees who Gamble at Work

Given that little is currently known about gambling in the workplace, we conducted a mixed-methods study to describe the characteristics and experiences of people who gamble at work. We administered a Canada-wide online survey (n = 2,000) of adults who 1) gamble, 2) are currently employed full-time, and 3) have internet access at work. A descriptive analysis of quantitative survey data showed that individuals who gamble at work had lower job satisfaction and higher rates of problem gambling compared to those who do not. Among those who gamble at work, we quantitatively described the types of gambling, the consequences experienced, and the motivations for gambling. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 individuals who met the criteria for problem gambling and who gamble at work. Data were integrated to provide a richer description of the experiences of those who gamble at work, including their motivations, the role of work–life satisfaction, and the dynamic influence of work as a social context. Motivations for workplace gambling included excitement, social connection, avoidance, and coping with stress or emotions. The results highlight the importance of understanding the varied motivations of individuals who gamble at work, and the role of work experiences in shaping meaning regarding gambling behaviours.

A study of noise-induced annoyance and fatigue in open-plan offices: comparison between hearing-impaired and normal-hearing listeners

Several studies outline a future scenario of longer working lives and later retirement, meaning that there could be a large number of elderly workers in offices. Add to this the natural effect of hearing loss due to ageing (presbycusis; which usually presents after the 5th decade of life) and you have an open door to questions regarding the acoustic comfort of this group. In a first study, it was shown that the effect of intelligible speech on performance in a serial recall task is similar for listeners with normal hearing and presbycusis. The aim of this new experiment is to assess whether any differences might occur when people are involved in a more ecologically valid task (long exposure to noise - 3 h/condition - and similar tasks to those performed in open-plan offices). Given the validation of a hearing loss simulator in previous studies, this one will be used to reproduce the group of people with mild hearing loss (onset of presbycusis). Therefore, the same group of people (32 participants) with normal hearing will perform the experiment under two listening conditions, with and without the simulator. Each listening condition will have two noise conditions, irrelevant speech, each with a different intelligibility level.

Implementasi Peningkatan Kerja Sama Tim, Work Life Balance, Trasformational Leadership Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan: Studi pada Karyawan PT. Pegadaian Cabang Sukabumi

In the era of globalization, the role of human resources for companies is becoming increasingly important, human resources determine the survival of the company. Human resources aim to develop the company. Pegadaian is a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) which has the status of a People's Credit institution with a Community Savings system to be able to meet needs to be effective. The aim of this research is to determine the implementation of teamwork, work life balance, transformational leadership on employee performance at PT. Sukabumi branch pawn shop. The method used in this research is a quantitative method with a descriptive approach. The sample in this study was 33 samples who were employees of PT. Pegadaian Sukabumi Branch using saturated sampling technique. Data was obtained through a research questionnaire distributed to all samples containing 20 statements regarding the variables of teamwork, work life balance, transformational leadership and employee performance, using an Ordinal measurement system. The data obtained was carried out various tests such as validity tests and reliability tests, classic assumption tests and then analyzed using SPSS 26 software testing. The results of the research showed that there was a significant influence between the variables of teamwork and work life balance on employee performance, but there were negative results for the variables. Transformational leadership on employee performance.

Domain Switch Theory: A Deeper Understanding of Transitions Between Work and Nonwork Domains in Modern Work Life

Domain Switch Theory: A Deeper Understanding of Transitions Between Work and Nonwork Domains in Modern Work Life

The daily experience of hunger in UK females with and without food insecurity

Food insecurity (FI) is associated with increased mortality risk, depression, and obesity in females in high-income countries, but causal mechanisms remain unclear. FI is often assumed to lead to increased levels of hunger. However, quantitative evidence describing daily experiences of hunger in FI is lacking. Our pre-registered study used ecological momentary assessment to capture experiences of hunger in two groups of UK-based females: those experiencing FI (N = 143) and those experiencing food security (FS; N = 149). Participants self-reported hunger hourly (0900-2100) for one week (Monday-Sunday). There was no difference between groups in mean hunger (t(290) = 0.17, p = .866, d = 0.02) nor within-day standard deviation in hunger (t(290) = 1.31, p = .193, d = 0.15). However, both quantities fluctuated more from day to day in the FI group. Compared to the FS group, participants in the FI group had a larger day-to-day variation in mean hunger (t(284) = 2.43, p = .016, d = 0.29) and a larger day-to-day variation in the within-day standard deviation of hunger (t(284) = 2.90, p = .004, d = 0.34). In exploratory analyses, we found that the hunger of the two groups patterned differently across the day. Our findings suggest that experiences of hunger are less stable in those experiencing FI, which may reflect associations between FI and greater uncertainty in food access, higher variability in meal timings or the increased likelihood of chaotic home and work lives.

If You're So Successful, Why Are You Still Working 70 Hours a Week? Exploring the Costs and Benefits of an Always-On Work Culture

This article explores the costs and benefits of working excessively long hours through an analysis of academic research and real-world industry examples. It argues that while dedication and hard work have driven success initially for many professionals, an "always on" culture risks normalizing unsustainable practices that undermine well-being in the long run. extensive research documents the negative impacts of chronic overwork on physical health, mental health, job satisfaction, and productivity. However, evidence also suggests that balanced boundaries between work and personal life can yield individual rewards like reduced stress and organizational rewards like stronger engagement and innovation. The article provides strategies for professionals and leaders to strike a balance appropriate for their context, through mechanisms like clearly communicating expectations, measuring outcomes over hours, guarding time for learning and relationships, and role modeling boundaries. With care and intention, even competitive industries can promote sustainable success over the long term.

Taking the Stress Out of Taking Time Off: Reducing Workplace Anxiety Through Flexible Policies and a Culture of Trust

This article examines how lack of separation between work and personal life in today's fast-paced workplace can negatively impact employee well-being, productivity, and retention. Constant connectivity from new technologies enables an "always on" culture where fully disengaging from work during non-work hours or vacations is challenging. Extensive research establishes the importance of work-life balance and taking proper time off to reduce stress, burnout, and health risks. Organizations suffer too from reduced performance and increased absenteeism when employees cannot relax and recharge away from job responsibilities. The article proposes that organizations implement flexible work policies, lead by example with boundary modeling from managers, and cultivate a culture valuing time off. Practical recommendations include establishing clear time-off guidelines, protecting personal time on calendars, and educating on the benefits of rest and recovery. Industry case studies demonstrate how companies have successfully instituted measures empowering employees to fully disconnect from work during leave for individual and company gains.

Cultivating Innovative Work Behavior: Insights from HRM Practices Integration

Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) has a prominent space in various literature, but what cultivates it remains inconsistent and fragmented. This study posits that controlled Human Resource (HR) practices can foster Innovative Work Behavior (IWB). It used Reflective Thematic Analysis (RTA) to examine from the lens of Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and Learning Culture (LC) theories based on the insights of 10 expert-respondents across 8 industries. The findings revealed that the organization’s support and the synergy of HR practices such as Diversity Management (DM), Work Life Balance (WLB), and Training and Development (TD) significantly succeeded to cultivate IWB while Rewards and Recognition (RR) practices failed to cultivate the desired behavior. The study also showed that championing cultural diversity and observing employees’ balanced work-family time propelled innovative behavior. Likewise, Learning Culture (LC) as enhanced by TD, DM, and WLB practices escalated the employees’ IWB. The study recommends to strategize RR practices, focusing on intrinsic rewards that are linked to IWB and to enhance TD practices for sustainable learning. It further highlights the crucial role of organizational support through HRM practices and learning culture in cultivating IWB. Since IWB is multi-factored, an investigation on other factors not addressed in this study and longitudinal research must be conducted to ensure consistent findings. The future direction of this study should also focus on external factors such as technological advancement, market competition, and regulatory environment that shall redefine the organization’s core values and consequently frame employees’ Innovative Work Behavior. This study does not only contribute to the existing body of literature, but also offers significant insights for both HR and Innovation managers in their respective practices. Keywords: Innovative Work Behavior, HR Practices, Organizational Performance, Diversity Management, Work-Life Balance, Training and Development, Rewards and Recognition, Perceived Organizational Support (POS) Theory, Learning Culture (LC) Theory

A Life's Work? Unpacking the Existential Meaning of Educational Mobilities for Migrant Families

ABSTRACTIt is axiomatic that middle‐class Asian migrant families invest heavily—practically and emotionally—in their children's education. Scholarship has linked this investment to strategies of capital accumulation. There has been little discussion, however, about the transformative nature of these strategies and how they might be framed in terms of migrants' whole lives. This paper applies theoretical concepts from migration studies and a framework proposed by philosopher Charles Taylor, to argue that educational migration should be seen as profoundly life shaping.

Discovering the true nature of chronic pelvic pain: Are we asking the right questions?

Chronic pelvic pain is a debilitating complex condition affecting men and women, but the knowledge gaps are salient. The condition impacts somatic, sexual, and mental health, as well as social, family, and work life. The complexity of the condition demands for a giant step away from traditional dualistic clinical approach. This commentary underpins the need to interweave multidisciplinary research within a biopsychosocial framework, as well as enhanced inclusion of the user perspective.

Part-Time Paradox: The Rise of Female Part-Time Employment and Its Impacts on Germany's Labor Market

Despite an employment rate of 76.6% for women in Germany, significant issues persist with regard to the labour market situation of women in the country. These include the prevalence of part-time work, the under-representation of women in senior management positions and the existence of pay gaps. This article employs data from the German Statistical Office spanning the period from 2000 to 2022 to examine the growth in part-time employment among women and its ramifications. The paper demonstrates that part-time work is a prevalent phenomenon in female-dominated sectors such as health and education. This is driven by a combination of economic conditions, the necessity to reconcile work and family life, and legal regulations. This situation consequently results in women facing lower remuneration and constrained career prospects. The necessity to balance work and family responsibilities represents a significant challenge for women, impeding their career development and negatively impacting their job performance and workplace commitment. These dynamics serve to perpetuate gender inequalities in the labour market, thereby preventing women from realising their full potential at work. This article makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on the relationship between part-time work and gender inequalities in the German labour market by providing a detailed analysis of this complex relationship. The article offers valuable insights into the potential of legal regulations, such as the Temporary Part-Time Work Act enacted in 2019, to alleviate the adverse effects of part-time work on women. The research is distinctive in its comprehensive examination of the socio-economic dynamics of part-time work, its legal framework, and its impact on gender equality, based on an extensive data analysis conducted over an extended period. By offering a detailed and nuanced understanding of these issues, the study draws attention to the ongoing challenges women face in the labour market and suggests potential policy interventions to promote gender equality. This article emphasises the necessity for targeted measures to facilitate women's career progression and offset the adverse consequences of part-time employment, thereby contributing to a more equitable labour market.

Crafting Sustainable Success in Hybrid Work Practices - Quality of Work Life and Mediating Effects of Job Satisfaction & Leadership Support

The rise of hybrid work arrangements, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, introduced both challenges and opportunities for organizations and employees. This study seeks to examine the sustainability of hybrid work models by analyzing the role of leadership support (LS) and job satisfaction (JS) as mediators in the relationship between Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Work-Life Balance (WLB). Data were collected via online surveys from 343 valid respondent employees working in the private corporate sector in India who had experience in remote or hybrid work setups. The hypothesized relationships among the named variables were tested using the PLS-SEM approach, with a standard bootstrapping procedure employed to disclose direct and indirect effects among latent variables. The findings indicate that employees strongly preferred the hybrid work model over the traditional work setting. Also, it reveals that QWL positively influences WLB, with both LS and JS serving as significant mediators. Leadership support, in particular, emerged as a crucial factor in the hybrid work context, influencing job satisfaction among employees and helping to strike a good balance between their professional and personal lives. The novelty of this research lies in its empirical demonstration of how leadership support and job satisfaction mediate the relationship between QWL and WLB, providing actionable insights for organizations to navigate the complexities of hybrid work model. The study recommends that organizations should formalize hybrid work arrangements; prioritize leadership communication; conduct regular team-building activities and focus on outcome-based performance evaluations. These strategies will enhance job satisfaction, strengthen leadership roles, and promote long-term prosperity with a positive societal and ecological impact.

Facilitators and barriers for working beyond statutory pension age: A prospective cohort study across 26 European countries.

The aging population of European countries highlights the need for extended working lives. This study aims to investigate facilitators and barriers for working beyond the statutory pension age (SPA). Using data from waves 1, 2, 4-9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (2004-2022), we followed 9131 workers with a mean age of 56.9 [standard deviation (SD) 3.5] years from 26 European countries until they surpassed the SPA for their respective country, sex and year of participation. Using robust Poisson regression, we modelled the prospective association of work factors, lifestyle, health, and demographics at baseline with working at least one year beyond the SPA. Participants were followed for 9.5 (SD 3.9) years. After surpassing the SPA by at least one year, 18% were still working. Among the work factors, opportunities for skill development [risk ratio (RR) 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.34] and recognition at work (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.26) facilitated working beyond SPA, while time pressure (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.97) and poor prospects for job advancement (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.70-0.83) were barriers. For the other factors, smoking was negatively associated with working beyond the SPA, while living in the northern part of Europe, higher level of education, and being divorced or separated were positively associated with working beyond the SPA. This prospective cohort study across 26 European countries identified four modifiable work factors that influenced working beyond the SPA. Addressing modifiable barriers and facilitators at the workplace and through public health initiatives could help extend working lives in Europe.

Work-life conflict: A study based on nurses in general hospitals in Galle district Sri Lanka

Work–life conflict has become a significant area of research due to the pressures of modern competitive lifestyles, due to that both men and women must earn to support their families. Balancing work and family responsibilities, while maintaining organizational commitment, is especially challenging for nurses, who play a major role in the health sector and often work long hours.This study focuses on the relationship between work-life conflict and organizational commitment among nurses in public sector hospitals in the Galle district in Sri Lanka. The primary objective is to investigate this relationship and understand the factors contributing to work-life conflict, its outcomes, and solutions.The research is quantitative, also use both primary and secondary data. A structured questionnaire was distributed to the random sample of 120 nurses, and the data were analyzed using Excel 2013, with results presented tables, charts and graphs.Findings show a significant negative relationship between work-life conflict and organizational commitment. Nurses must balance their work and family roles to strengthen their psychological bond with their hospitals. Hospital administrations should enhance organizational support to help nurses manage both domains, leading to increased commitment. It is beneficial not only the organization but also the broader society by improving healthcare outcomes.