Work Organization Factors Research Articles

Joint ICOH-WOPS & APA-PFAW global roundtable perspectives: exploring national policy approaches for psychological health at work through the 'National Policy Index' lens.

Worker psychological health is a significant global imperative which requires national policy action and stakeholder engagement. While national policy is a critical lever for improving worker psychological health, some countries are more progressive than others in relation to policy development and/or implementation. At the Joint Congress of the International Commission on Occupational Health, Scientific Committee on Work Organization and Psychosocial Factors and the Asia Pacific Academy for Psychosocial Factors Work in Tokyo (September 2023), a Global Roundtable was designed to initiate international dialogue and knowledge exchange regarding relevant national policy approaches. The Global Roundtable involved experts from diverse regions alongside an engaged audience of congress attendees and facilitators. Qualitative data were analysed against the five components of the National Policy Index tool, comprising policy priority, specific laws, nation-wide initiatives, sector-oriented initiatives, national survey and/or studies. Analysis revealed that while work-related psychological health is a policy priority across many countries, at the same time, there are global gaps in both legislation specificity and active regulation across different countries. For future policy development across countries, it will be beneficial to continue and deepen international discourse and for countries to share their approaches with others.

From academia to enterprise: how work value and organisational factors influence academic entrepreneurship

Scholars in the social sciences have paid attention to the work value, but little is known about its significance from an entrepreneurship point of view. The purpose of this study is to look into how an organisational factor influences the relationship between academician work value and academic entrepreneurship engagement. This is a first attempt to investigate academician work values from higher learning institutions in developing nations, adding to the body of knowledge regarding the elements that impact academic entrepreneurship engagement. The selected higher learning institutions provided 381 of their academicians for the study, which employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data, and structural equation modelling was used to assess the results. The results show that, when organisational factors act as the moderator, work value in terms of terminal values increases its impact on academic entrepreneurship; on the contrary, organisational factors have no moderation effect with the instrumental value when influencing academic entrepreneurship. The study provided implications for higher learning institutions, academicians, and the government.

Gender aspects in occupational exposure and health studies.

While sex is a biological attribute associated with physical and physiological features, gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions, and identities. On the biological side, males and females differ concerning hormonal and anatomical differences, and It is therefore plausible occupational exposure may act differently on males and females. In contrast, gender may influence the work organization, work environment conditions and exposures, and employment conditions, leading people of different genders to perform different jobs or job tasks, be exposed to different stressors, and work under different employment terms. Traditionally, occupational exposures have been assessed without considering how exposures may differ by sex or gender. Early research focused on occupations that primarily employed men. However, women have entered occupations historically dominated by men, leading to emerging exploration of gender differences in exposure. Some women-dominated occupations have become the focus of intensive research activity. In the Annals, the number of articles including sex and gender issues has increased dramatically over time, with only two published prior to 1980, and 70 in the 2010s, and with a special issue dedicated to Gender, Work, and Health in 2018 where the editors highlighted a need to improve assessment of gender and sex identities to allow for more nuanced knowledge to elucidate the role of work organization and contextual factors about gender, work exposures, and health. Females, on average, have different body dimensions than males, which affects how well workplaces and personal protective equipment (PPE) fit females, and there remains a need for further improvements to ensure that females are protected equally well. On the other hand, females tend to comply more frequently with PPE requirements than men highlighting the need for gender-specific initiatives in order to increase PPE performance and compliance. In conclusion, there is still work to do in order to fill in the existing knowledge gap with regard to sex, gender, and work, but there are promising initiatives and the field is progressing.

Factors related to occupational stress among private sector dentists in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional study examined factors associated with occupational stress among 384 dentists working in the private sector in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Data were collected from August to October 2020 through an online form. Two outcomes - (1) anxiety and worry and (2) preparation and safety for work during the pandemic - constituted a proxy for occupational stress. The independent variables were grouped according to the explanatory theoretical model into individual, organisational and extra-organisational factors. Associations were tested by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Although prepared and confident, dentists felt anxious and worried about providing clinical care. Women, younger respondents and those who received no guidance on safety measures were more likely to report insecurity and unpreparedness. Younger professionals, those who did not participate in decision-making and who only sometimes had an assistant for four-hand work, were more likely to feel anxious and worried. In addition to individual factors, work organisation factors were associated with occupational stress among dentists in the first year of the pandemic.

Fatores associados ao estresse ocupacional entre cirurgiões-dentistas do setor privado no primeiro ano da pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract This cross-sectional study examined factors associated with occupational stress among 384 dentists working in the private sector in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Data were collected from August to October 2020 through an online form. Two outcomes - (1) anxiety and worry and (2) preparation and safety for work during the pandemic - constituted a proxy for occupational stress. The independent variables were grouped according to the explanatory theoretical model into individual, organisational and extra-organisational factors. Associations were tested by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Although prepared and confident, dentists felt anxious and worried about providing clinical care. Women, younger respondents and those who received no guidance on safety measures were more likely to report insecurity and unpreparedness. Younger professionals, those who did not participate in decision-making and who only sometimes had an assistant for four-hand work, were more likely to feel anxious and worried. In addition to individual factors, work organisation factors were associated with occupational stress among dentists in the first year of the pandemic.

Organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors associated with self-rated exhaustion disorder among municipal employees in rural northern Sweden.

Research indicates that good organizational and psychosocial environments are vital to well-functioning workplaces and employee health. Working in the municipal sector and in the rural context may contribute to more health problems, poorer organizational and psychosocial work environments, and higher sick-leave rates. The aim of this study was to explore organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors among municipal employees with or without self-rated exhaustion disorder (s-ED) in rural northern Sweden. The Modern Work Life Questionnaire and the Self-Rated Exhaustion Disorder Scale were used among 1093 municipal employees. The results showed that there were significant differences between the s-ED and the non-s-ED group in all but one of the organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors. Various demands, i.e. quantitative, emotional, intellectual, and IT demands were some factors associated with the s-ED group. Social support, resources, and time for work and reflection were some factors associated with the non-s-ED group. Both the s-ED and the non-s-ED groups assessed significantly higher emotional demands and less resources compared to national reference values. Findings from this study are relevant to a better understanding what organizational and psychosocial work environmental work factor the employer need to pay extra attention to. Addressing risk and protective factors in the work environment could tribute to promote occupational well-being, preventing exhaustion disorder and long-term sick leave among municipal employees in rural northern Sweden.

Can trust in management help? Job satisfaction, healthy lifestyle, and turnover intentions

PurposeThis study assesses the role of trust in management on relationships between predictors (supervisor support, coworker support and meaningful work) and outcomes (job satisfaction, turnover intentions and healthy lifestyle).Design/methodology/approachData from 1,302 working adults from the National Survey of Changing Workforce was used in this study. Structural equation models and mediation analyses are used to analyze the data.FindingsFindings indicate that trust in management significantly mediates relationships between support (supervisor, coworker) and outcomes and meaningful work and outcomes. Trust in management does not mediate relationships involving turnover intentions. Gender does not have a significant impact on the findings.Practical implicationsThis study shows how trust in management is increasingly important during disruptions including high levels of voluntary turnover known as the Great Resignation. Trust in management is a key factor in work involvement and organizational citizenship behaviors.Originality/valueThis novel study tests how trust mediates relationships between both organizational behavior factors and work factors in relation to outcomes. The importance of developing and sustaining trust in management is paramount because it affects work-related outcomes as well as an individual's job satisfaction and healthy lifestyle.

Psychosocial and organisational work factors as predictors of sickness absence among professionally active adults with common mental disorders

BackgroundThe incidence of sickness absence (SA) due to common mental disorders (CMDs) has increased in recent decades. It is hence important to elucidate how individuals with CMDs can maintain work. The aim was to analyse the relationship between psychosocial and organisational workplace factors and a spell of > 14 days of SA among persons with CMDs.MethodsIncluded were respondents of the Swedish Work Environment Survey (SWES) 1993–2013, diagnosed with a CMD up to five years before the interview in the SWES (n = 3,795). Relative Risk (RR) regression models with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) analysed associations between psychosocial-, and organisational workplace factors and a subsequent spell of SA > 14 days.ResultsLow control over work (RR:1.16; CI:1.01–1.35), job strain (RR:1.25; CI:1.04–1.49), no flexible working hours (RR:1.25; CI:1.08–1.45) or no possibility to work from home (RR:1.37; CI:1.13–1.66) were significantly related to an increased risk of SA. Persons diagnosed with depression experiencing job strain had the highest increased risk of SA (RR:1.55; CI: 1.07–2.25).ConclusionsA sustainable work-life among working individuals with CMDs can be provided by reducing job strain, and if possible, by increasing flexibility regarding workplace and working hours. This may prevent spells of SA, and hereby increase productivity.

Developing Employee Productivity and Performance through Work Engagement and Organizational Factors in an Educational Society

In today’s working environment, various organizations confront the significant challenges of productivity and performance. However, higher education institutes (HEIs) are also not free from this massive issue. Therefore, the present study investigates employee productivity and performance through work engagement (WEE) and organizational factors. The modes of study are quantitative and based on cross-sectional data. The study collects the response from academic and administrative staff from public and private HEIs of Saudi Arabia. The study applies convenience sampling and successfully proceeds 254 valid cases to conclude the findings. The applied structural equation model (SEM) path analysis demonstrates a positive and significant effect of WEE comprising vigour, dedication, and absorption factors on employee productivity (EPD). In addition, employee performance (EP) is predicted through organizational factors such as management support (MS), learning culture (LC), work environment (WE) and organizational commitment (OC). Finally, the study finds a significant and positive effect of EPD on EP among the employees of HEIs. The study findings would be guidelines for policymakers and the top management of higher education commissions to advance the knowledge and skills of EPD and EP of the organizations. The study would support achieving job tasks and goals through developing WEE and organizational factors for productivity and performance. Lastly, the findings will augment the literature and provide empirical evidence from Middle East countries. The study provides a vigorous model which connects the WEE theory and organizational factors towards EPD and EP in an integrated way.

Prevalence of psychosocial work factors and stress and their associations with the physical and mental health of hospital physicians: A cross-sectional study in Lithuania.

A negative psychosocial work environment causes stress to the physicians of healthcare institutions, which affect their physical and mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of psychosocial work factors and stress and their associations with the physical and mental health of hospital physicians in the Kaunas region of Lithuania. A cross-sectional study was performed. It was based on a questionnaire survey, which contained the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), three scales of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey. The study was carried out in 2018. A total of 647 physicians completed the survey. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed by using the stepwise method. In the models potentially, confounding factors such as age and gender were controlled. In our study, the dependent variables were stress dimensions, and the independent variables were psychosocial work factors. The analysis showed that a quarter of surveyed physicians were classified as having low job skill discretion and decision-making authority, and the support of supervisors was weak. Approximately one-third of the respondents had low decision latitude, low co-worker support, and high job demands, and felt insecure at work. Job insecurity and gender were found to be the strongest independent variables for general and cognitive stress. The support of the supervisor was found as a significant factor in the case of somatic stress. Better evaluation of mental health was related to job skill discretion and co-workers' and supervisors' support, but it did not affect physical health. The confirmed associations suggest that looking at work organization factors, reducing exposure to stress, and increasing perception of the psychosocial environment can be linked to better subjective health evaluation.

Shoulder work-related musculoskeletal disorders and related factors of workers in 15 industries of China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundChanges in modern industrial production practices can easily lead to shoulder work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). The current reports on shoulder WMSD are limited to some industries are less well studied, and the sample size is usually small. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and severity of shoulder WMSD in a large sample of Chinese workers from 15 industries, analyze the possible correlations with sociodemographic and work-related variables, and compare the differences between industries.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 55,749 participants from 252 enterprises in 15 industries throughout China. A Chinese version of the musculoskeletal disease questionnaire was used to collect the demographic factors, shoulder symptoms in past 12 months, and work-related factors including posture-related factors, repetition, vibration, work organization, job control, and environmental factors as independent variables. Descriptive statistics were used, and the binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between shoulder WMSD and potential demographic and work-related factors.ResultsNearly 35.5% of participants reported shoulder pain and discomfort in the previous 12 months. Biopharmaceutical manufacturing (56.2%), medical services (54.4%), and aviation services (50.1%) were the three industries with the highest prevalence of shoulder WMSD. The pain score of aviation services workers was the highest. The related factors for shoulder WMSD varied among the different industries.ConclusionOur study found a relatively high prevalence of shoulder WMSD in China. There were large differences in the prevalence of shoulder WMSD among industries, and the related factors were particular to each industry. Such information is useful to help occupational health practitioners and policymakers conduct preventive programs to reduce shoulder disorders in these working populations.

Work Organization Factors Associated With Nurses’ Stress, Sleep, and Performance: A Pre-pandemic Analysis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic put extreme stress on an already strained healthcare workforce. Suboptimal work organization, exacerbated by the pandemic, is associated with poor worker, patient, and organizational outcomes. However, there are limited qualitative studies exploring how the interconnections of work organization factors related to shift work, sleep, and work stress influence registered nurses and their work performance in the United States.PurposeWe sought to understand how nurses perceive work organization factors that impact their performance. Knowledge in this area could direct efforts to implement policies and design tailored interventions to support nurses in the post-pandemic period.MethodsWe used a qualitative descriptive design with the Work, Stress, and Health framework as an overarching guide to understand the interconnectedness of work organization factors, work stress, and outcomes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two anonymous, asynchronous virtual focus groups (i.e., threaded discussion boards) in 2019. Registered nurses (N = 23) working across the United States were recruited and engaged until data saturation was achieved. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the data.ResultsFindings aligned with the Work, Stress, and Health framework and revealed three themes: (1) “Our Voice Should Matter” (nurses’ desire to have their voices heard in staffing policies); (2) “Tired But Wired” (the harmful cycle of work stress, rumination, and poor sleep); and (3) “We’re Only Human” (nurses’ physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion linked to critical performance impairments).ConclusionThese findings underscore that high work stress and poor sleep were present before the pandemic and impacted nurses’ perceptions of their performance. As leaders look forward to recovery and work redesign efforts, these findings can guide decision-making and resource allocation for optimal nurse, patient, and organization outcomes.

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Competitiveness of Individuals in the Labour Market During the Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the behaviour of individuals and companies. This study aims to determine changes in the labour market behaviour of economically active individuals in the context of the pandemic and to identify competitive segments in this period. For this purpose, a representative survey (n = 3079) conducted in the Czech Republic was used. The paper’s contribution is a perspective of individuals’ behaviour and their perception of the situation. Based on subjective perceptions, respondents provided an assessment of their living situation before and during the pandemic, expressing their opinion on the importance of selected aspects of quality of life, such as their health, active social contacts, creation of financial savings, ability to pay bills, leisure time and coping with stressful situations. The results of a Wilcoxon test showed that individuals re-evaluated each aspect of life and that the pandemic changed the importance for all of them (except leisure time). This change is also reflected in their psyche, attitude towards work organisation, digitalisation and other factors; these were applied in a cluster analysis, which resulted in the identification of three segments in the group of employees in the labour market (competitive individuals, surviving individuals and those reluctant to respond to change). For the group of entrepreneurs, two segments emerged (flexible and loss-creating), while for the unemployed group, the typical segment can be described as dissatisfied and Covid victims. The names of these segments indicate their behaviour and provide possibilities for future use.

Methodology based on causes of accidents for forcasting the effects of falls from scaffoldings using the construction industry in poland as an example

Every year, there are several thousand occupational accidents on Polish construction sites. Many of them are related to the use of building scaffolding. Depending on the type of injury, accidents are classified as light, severe or fatal. This article presents a methodology, which is based on identified causes, for predicting the effects (severity) of falls from building scaffolding. The basis for the research was a set of 200 accidents that occurred on Polish construction sites in 2011. Information on the accidents was obtained from the archives of the National Labor Inspectorate. For each fall from scaffolding, the following were identified (in accordance with the Polish TOH methodology): technical (T), organizational (O) and human (H) causes of the accident, as well as its effects. The significance of the causes was assessed in each group using Pareto-Lorenz analysis and the ABC classification. Significant causes include those that were identified in over 80% of accidents. These causes were taken into account in the further analyzes. In order to define the relationship between the identified significant causes of an accident, and its effect, an original methodology of screening was proposed. It involved the assigning of the possible effects of accidents to each theoretical combination of accident causes. For this purpose, computational scripts in the Python programming language were developed. The test results allowed for the percentage determination of the probability of light, severe and fatal consequences of an accident for each of the combinations of significant causes. The conducted research is of great importance for science and engineering practice. The obtained test results can be used to estimate the occupational risk of work carried out on building scaffoldings. The developed computational models enable the consequences of accidents to be easily and quickly forecast, depending on the deficiencies and shortcomings identified “in situ” in the area of scaffolding assembly, work organization and human factors. Good identification of the factors influencing the severity of accidents allows high-risk factors to be distinguished and specific preventive measures to be developed.

Working Conditions and Wellbeing among Prison Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Comparison to Community Nurses.

The psychological health and work challenges of nurses working in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic are understudied. We evaluated the work and wellbeing characteristics of a California prison nurse group, with a comparison to those of a community nurse group. From May to November 2020, an online survey measured psychosocial and organizational work factors, sleep habits, psychological characteristics, COVID-19 impacts, and pre-pandemic recall among 62 prison nurses and 47 community nurses. Prison nurses had significantly longer work hours (54.73 ± 14.52, p < 0.0001), higher pandemic-related work demands, and less sleep hours (5.36 ± 1.30, p < 0.0001) than community nurses. Community nurses had significantly higher pandemic-related fear levels (work infection: p = 0.0115, general: p = 0.0025) and lower perceived personal protective equipment (PPE) supply (p = 0.0103). Between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, both groups had significantly increased night shift assignments and decreased sleep hours, but the prison group had increased work hours. Although not statistically significant, both groups had high occupational stress and prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Our results indicate that prison nurses experienced work and wellbeing challenges during the pandemic. Future research and practice ought to address nurses’ workload, PPE, and psychological resources in correctional facilities and healthcare organizations.

Predicting disability retirement among Abu Dhabi police using multiple measure of sickness absence

BackgroundDisability retirement has been investigated in the last two decades using predictors such as measures of sickness absence, psychological, social, and organizational work factors. The impact of various health-related and sickness measures on disability retirement across various occupational group reveal a significant relation. However, current literature lacks understanding in police personnel.MethodsThis study examines the roles of demographic and measures of sickness absence on disability retirement among police personnel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The case–control design was used to predict disability retirement wherein controls were matched with cases according to age and gender from those who worked in the same administration as the case at baseline, to reduce the possible confounding influence of these variables. Conditional logistic regression models were used determine the odds-ratio of various measures of sickness absence in predicting disability retirement.ResultsResults indicate that increased number of spells, and number of days of sickness absence can predict disability retirements among police personnel in the UAE. Results indicate that odds ratios for disability retirement for the total exposure period increased from 1.76 (95% CI = 1.42-2.20) for spells of 4-7d to 2.47 (95%CI = 1.79-3.40) for spells of > 4 weeks. When compared with their married counterparts, non-married police employees had a statistically significant increase in odds of disability retirement of almost three fold (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.55-5.56). Non-field and field police officers, on the other hand, had significantly reduced odds of disability retirement compared with admin/supportive staff (OR = 0.43 and 0.28 with 95% CI = 0.19-0.96 and 0.13-0.61 respectively). Odds ratios of disability retirement at end of the exposure period for the matching variables with those obtained after additionally adjusting for all demographic variables (model b), namely, marital status, occupation, employment grade and type, and educational level. The odds ratios of disability retirement remained significantly raised for the total number of days of sickness absence and for the number of spells of sickness absence for all spell types.ConclusionsRecommendation to reduce the number of future disability retirements among Abu Dhabi Police include structured problem-solving process addressed through stepwise meetings between the line-managers and the employee.

Literature Review: Relating Factors to the Effectiveness of Occupational Health and Safety Program Performance

Background: Work safety performance assessment is one part of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System activity, which aims to ensure workers' right to safety and health in the workplace and increase productivity. Further identification of factors related to safety performance needs to be done to ensure the quality of the assessment results is accurate, effective, and efficient.&#x0D; Methods: This study is a literature review conducted to explore factors related to the performance of occupational safety and health programs. The literature search was conducted in September 2021. The research sources were taken from several databases, namely Science Direct, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The Science Direct database found 823 articles, 8,802 ProQuest, and 3,200 Google Scholars. From the entire database, only 22 articles met the inclusion criteria. The variables in this study are the performance of OHS, OHS management system, and work.&#x0D; Results: This literature review shows that there are 19 personal factors, 19 work environment factors, 13 technical factors and 37 organizational factors related to the effectiveness of occupational safety and health program performance.&#x0D; Conclusion: Factors related to occupational safety and health program performance are grouped into four main factors, namely personal factors, work environment factors, technical factors, and organizational factors.

Healthcare Services and Formal Caregiver's Psychosocial Risk Factors: An Observational Study.

The prevention and management of chronic disease primarily requires risk reduction measures, through strategic coordination across various government areas. Recognizing that health workers and the public health workforce are integral to building strong and resilient health, the present study analyses the relation between Psychosocial Risk Factors (PRFs, to which formal caregivers are exposed in the healthcare settings), and the work system related elements of the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS 3.0) framework. An empirical study was carried out, involving 333 formal caregivers of healthcare services. A total of 31 PRFs were assessed (using the COPSOQ III), making it possible to find a relationship between the PRFs analyzed with three elements of the work system, namely Task (5 PRFs), Organizational factors (17 PRFs), and Individual (9 PRFs). The present work contributes not only in terms of outcomes that allow the development of mental illness prevention and mental health promotion actions for healthcare formal caregivers, but also in terms of the relevance that these factors can have on the quality of health services, as well as their users (patients), in line with SEIPS 3.0 model.

Perilaku Cyberloafing: Perspektif Faktor Individual dan Organisasi di Dinas Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Kota Malang

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of individual factors and organizational factors on the cyberloafing behavior of employees at the Malang City Education and Culture Office. Data was collected by census through questionnaires distributed online via google form. Multiple linear regression analysis, proves that individual factors from work stress and organizational factors from the work environment have a positive and significant effect on cyberloafing behavior. For this reason, in order to reduce the cyberloafing behavior of its employees, the Malang City Education and Culture Office must have a written rule that prohibits its employees from carrying out cyberloafing activities during working hours, because this is very important so that employees do not arbitrarily carry out cyberloafing activities. it needs to be accompanied by sanctions.