Work Task Performance Research Articles

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Procrastination at Work Scale.

The purpose of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the Procrastination at Work Scale (PAWS), a recently developed scale aimed at assessing procrastination in the work context. We translated the PAWS into Chinese and conducted exploratory factor analysis on participants in sample A (N = 236), resulting in a two-factor solution consistent with the original PAWS. In sample B (N = 227), confirmatory factor analysis showed that a two-factor, bifactor model fit the data best. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested, which demonstrated that the Chinese version of the PAWS did not differ across groups by gender, age, education, or job position. Validity testing demonstrated that the scale relates to work engagement, counterproductive work behavior, task performance, workplace well-being, and organizational commitment. This study indicated that the Chinese version of the PAWS could be used in future research to measure procrastination at work in China.

Association between Long COVID and Overweight/Obesity.

Background: Long COVID is a syndrome characterized by the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms. Among HCWs, prolonged COVID symptoms could lead to the inability to perform work tasks. The aim of this study is to investigate 35-day long-COVID (35-LC) characteristics and risk factors in a one-year period. Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic at University Hospital of Bari. A total of 5750 HCWs were tested for close contact with a confirmed case, in the absence of personal protective equipment, or for symptom development. Results: Each positive HCW was investigated for cardiovascular risk factors or respiratory diseases. An amount of 352 HCWs (6.1%) were infected by SARS-CoV-2, and 168 cases evolved to long COVID. The 35-LC group showed mean BMI values higher than the non-35-LC group (25.9 kg/m2 vs. 24.8 kg/m2, respectively), and this difference was significant (p-value: 0.020). Moreover, HCWs who suffered from pulmonary disease (OR = 3.7, CL 95%: 1.35–10.53; p-value = 0.007) or overweight (OR = 1.6 CL 95%: 1.05–2.56; p-value = 0.029) had an increased risk of developing 35-LC. Conclusions: Long COVID is an emerging problem for hospital managers as it may reduce the number of HCWs deployed in the fight against COVID-19. High BMI and previous pulmonary disease could be risk factors for 35-LC development in exposed HCWs.

No expatriate is an island: the role of salient stakeholders' support in international assignments

PurposeInternational assignments are an effective tool to develop employees' cultural competencies, yet expatriate failure rates remain high. This paper aims to examine salient stakeholders' (i.e. organisations, host country nationals (HCNs) and spouses) support as antecedents of expatriates' work adjustment and task performance. It also explores work adjustment as a mediator between support and task performance.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the quantitative approach, survey data were collected from 112 expatriates who were married and based in organisations in Malaysia. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the data.FindingsThe findings validate the direct influences of perceived organisational support (POS) on work adjustment, HCN support on work adjustment, and spousal support on task performance. The indirect effect of HCN support on task performance through work adjustment was also established. When expatriates' work adjustment improves as a result of receiving HCN support, their task performance is enhanced.Practical implicationsThis study evidences that expatriate-hiring firms should provide suitable support for expatriates when they work overseas. Local employees and spouses should likewise be tasked to help expatriates maximise their full potential in achieving successful performance in their assignments.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is the exploration of the relationships between support, work adjustment and task performance among expatriates. It also adds to the limited knowledge on the role of specific stakeholders in the expatriate context.

Effects of Honesty Test using Situational Judgment Test Format on Task Performance and counterproductive work behavior

The purposes of this research were 1) to identify criterion-related validity of the developed Honesty test using situation judgment test format and 2) to test mediating role of moral disengagement process including self-sanction. For these purpose, the situational judgment test measuring sub-constructs (i.e., sincerity, fairness, greed avoidance and modesty) of honesty-humility factor in HEXACO model(Lee & Ashton, 2004) was developed. eria(i.e., counterproductive work behavior, task performance and contextual performance). Total 365 employees(male, N=170, 46.58%; female, N=195, 53.42%) were used in the study. The Honesty test developed in the study included 24 items(i.e., 6 items for each 4 sub-constructs). The criterion-related validity analyses results showed that the Honesty test using situational judgment test format had significant correlations with counterproductive work behavior(r = -.49) and task performance(r = .39). The results of structural equation model revealed that the effects of honesty on counterproductive work behavior was mediated by moral disengagement process and the direct effect of honesty on counterproductive work behavior was also significant. Overall goodness of fit indexes of this model were favorable except for the chi-square value(χ2(32) = 50.44, p = .0202, CFI = .990, TLI = .986, RMSEA = .040). Limitations of the study and directions for future study were discussed.

Effects of Resistance Training in Muscle Mass and Markers of Muscle Damage in Adults with Down Syndrome.

Recent studies have emphasized that regular exercise should be encouraged as a key part of care and support for people with Down syndrome (DS). However, muscle hypotonia has traditionally been considered a major barrier to resistance training (RT) in people with DS. The main objective of this study was to analyze the impact of circuit RT on markers of muscle damage. The secondary objective was to assess the influence of a RT program on body composition and work task performance. Thirty-six men with DS were recruited and randomly assigned to perform a circuit RT program with six stations 3 days/week for 12 weeks (n = 18) or to a control group (n = 18). Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Serum markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase, myoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase) were determined at baseline and at the end of training weeks 1, 6, and 12. Work task performance was assessed using the weighted pail-carry test. RT did not induce significant changes in markers of muscle damage during the intervention. Furthermore, muscle mass and work task performance were significantly improved in the exercise group. These findings suggest that circuit RT can be used safely to increase muscle mass and work task performance in young adults with DS. Muscle hypotonia should not be considered a major barrier to exercise in people with DS, provided that qualified staff design and supervise all training sessions.

How work engagement relates to performance and absenteeism: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Both researchers and practitioners agree that having highly engaged employees results in individuals and organizations reaping various positive consequences related to performance and absenteeism. However, available research syntheses date from the early years of this line of research, thus cover only a small fraction (under 10%) of the available studies. The present meta-analysis updates the results of work engagement and its three facets (vigour, dedication, and absorption) on task performance and includes a substantial number of studies on absenteeism with separate analyses of longitudinal studies. A total of 179 unique correlations representing an overall sample size of N = 139,182 was examined, confirming and enhancing a positive association between work engagement and task performance (ρ = .483) and a negative association between work engagement and absenteeism (ρ = −.171). The three facets of engagement had similar effects on performance, but only vigour and dedication correlated significantly negatively with absenteeism. Work engagement is linked positively to future task performance and negatively to future absenteeism. The influence of several methodical moderators is examined. Finally, we discuss how these findings can inform research and practice in order to contribute to a more effective and healthy work environment for employees.

Working Time and New Organizational Values as an Indicator of Acceleration of the Serbian Society During the Second Decade of the 21st Century: Anthropological Analysis

Based on the results of anthropological fieldwork conducted in 2015 and 2016, the paper aims to review the employees’ experience regarding the process of the acceleration of time in the office of one multinational company in Belgrade. The scientific focus is placed on working hours and certain temporal boundaries that characterize it. The most significant outcome is that the experience of a given phenomenon is the result of the fact that time spent during the work increasingly pushes the private time of interlocutors to the point of complete usurpation. The process of the acceleration of time was analyzed at three levels based on the statements of fifty-six respondents. The methods used in this study were structured interviews, observation of daily activities and practices in the company’s office, participant observation, survey on the demographic and socio-economic profiles of the interlocutors, and a field diary. The first level involved an analysis of business hours esteem; the second one was oriented towards studying the process and period of employees’ adjustment to foreign colleagues; while the third level of analysis aimed to instruct employees’ relationship to working hours before and after the experience of worink with foreign colleagues. This research design turned out to be the most appropriate if we keep in mind that the results of this study lean on the results of anthropological research from 2005, which aimed to review the experiences, strategies and expectations of 30 employed Belgraders of different work positions, work orientations and the length of careers in terms of working hours. Amonog these 30 respondents the blurring of the differences between business and private sphere of life has been detected due to the experience of working in a changed socio-economic and political context since 2000 and the beginning of the reform process within EU integration process, accompanied by the specific social acceleration. The continuation of these processes, with certain features that come as a result of another change in the country’s political climate in 2012, therefore, are the key pathways through which the phenomenon of the acceleration of time in the modern Serbian society was observed on the example of a specific work/business community. Consequently, the acceleration of the Serbian society during the second decade of the 21st century, on the example of employees in the office of one multinational company in Belgrade, showed that the experience of working hours and certain temporal boundaries that characterize it among employees is such that private time is almost completely usurped by work time. This can be read through working hours, which practically cease to have clearly defined temporal boundaries in life of most respondents. The performance of work tasks is placed in the service of merging the spheres of business and private life into one, within the wokring hours.

Психологические особенности субъектов экстремальной деятельности в зависимости от продолжительности служебно-трудового стажа

Professional activity, which includes an extreme component at the content level, is a special type of activity with the presentation of increased physical, psychological and psychophysiological requirements for a person, the consideration of which contributes to the successful performance of service and work tasks and the prevention of psychosomatic, psychovegetative and pathological organizational changes of the subject. The purpose of the study is to identify the psychological characteristics of the subjects of extreme activity, depending on the length of service and work experience. To achieve the goal of the study, we studied 508 male respondents whose professional activity contained an extreme component (military air traffic controllers, ground-based and deck-based transport and fighter pilots, surface sailors, submariners, firefighters, specialists engaged in the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, participants in combat operations). As a result of the study, it was found that with an increase in the length of service and work experience, interpersonal relationships are transformed in specialists of extreme profile, personality qualities and characterological features change. Professional resiliency does not change in the course of official and labor activity

Sport coaches’ positive emotions, task performance, and well-being: The mediating role of work satisfaction

Although previous studies have uncovered various factors to understand sport coaches’ life, the role of positive emotions toward coaching experience and their impacts on behavioral and psychological outcomes remain unknown. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sport coaches’ positive emotions on their work satisfaction and task performance and further measure the factors that would facilitate the understanding of sport coaches’ well-being. A total of 519 responses were collected from sport coaches in Singapore. Results showed that all the hypothesized relationships were significant, highlighting work satisfaction to play a mediating role in the relationship between positive emotions and task performance and between positive emotions and well-being. The findings of this study contribute to the advancement of the theoretical knowledge on the role of positive emotions in the context of sport management and provide valuable practical implications for sport organizations.

Possible sleep and awake bruxism, chronotype profile and TMD symptoms among Turkish dental students

ABSTRACT It was hypothesized that an individual’s chronotype profile has an effect on the performance of work or study tasks. Dental students have to cope with both academic and clinical workloads, and the latter requires extra concentration. The first aim was to evaluate the association of sleep bruxism (SB) and awake bruxism (AB) with sleep related items, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) complaints, and chronotype profile; the second aim was to evaluate the association between complaints of TMD and chronotype profile among dental students. The present cross-sectional descriptive study involved 218 dental students whose ages ranged between 18 and 30 years. In order to gather data, students were required to respond to a questionnaire, which aimed to evaluate possible SB and possible AB occurrence and demographics, sleep-related items and complaints of TMD. For the assessment of the chronotype profile, the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) was used. The chi-square test, the Mann–Whitney U test, and t-test analyses were performed to evaluate the factors associated with SB, AB and chronotype profile. The frequency of self-reported SB was 25.2% and AB was 28.9%. The prevalence in the eveningness profile who reported possible AB was 45.3%, while it was 24.2% in intermediate individuals and 18.8% in the morningness profile. An association was also found between possible AB and eveningness chronotype profile (p = .009). No association was found between other temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain and noise and chronotype profiles (p > .05). An association was found between possible AB and eveningness chronotype profile but no association was found between possible SB and chronotype profile. Moreover, complaint of TMD (face, head, neck pain) was observed particularly in students with an eveningness profile.

Power of good old days: how leisure nostalgia influences work engagement, task performance, and subjective well-being

ABSTRACT Employees can experience high levels of stress due to excessive job demands, negatively influencing their subjective well-being. Given the crucial role of leisure experience in life, the effects of post-leisure experience on employees’ work and subjective well-being were measured in this study. Specifically, this study examined the relationships among leisure nostalgia, work engagement, task performance, and subjective well-being. Data were collected from school teachers in Singapore. Results showed that leisure nostalgia had a positive effect on work engagement, task performance, and subjective well-being. In addition, work engagement positively influenced task performance and subjective well-being; task performance positively affected subjective well-being. The findings of this study extend the theoretical and empirical evidence of the concept of leisure nostalgia and contribute to the understanding of the role of leisure nostalgia in work and life.

What organizational factors motivate environmental educators to perform their best?

Positive motivation to perform work tasks has been associated with better performance and outcomes in both the organizational and informal education literature. In environmental education (EE), this means that more motivated instructors are likely to provide better programs for their participants. In this exploratory study across 15 states in the USA, grounded in interviews with EE instructors and their supervisors, we examine the most salient factors motivating EE instructors to perform their work and how the practices of their organizations influenced those factors. Organizational practices related to enhancing EE instructors’ feelings of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and meaningfulness of their work each contributed to positive motivations. A strong sense of shared values and interests underpinned each of these factors. We discuss recommendations for maintaining and enhancing instructor motivations, including hiring and onboarding strategies, participatory evaluation processes, and professional development opportunities. We also consider subtle differences in motivations at different career stages. Supplemental data for this article is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2021.1924104

The effects of blue-light filtration on sleep and work outcomes.

In this article, we investigate the effects of blue-light filtration on broad attitudinal and behavioral outcomes (i.e. work engagement, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior). Drawing on recent developments in the circadian process literature and its related research on chronobiology, we propose that a cost-effective sleep intervention can improve multiple organizationally relevant outcomes. Specifically, we theorize that wearing blue-light filtering glasses creates a form of physiologic darkness, thus improving both sleep quantity and quality. We then argue that wearing blue-light filtering glasses is related to work engagement, task performance, and nontask performance via sleep quantity and sleep quality. Considering that individuals vary in the timing of their circadian process, we propose that chronotype is a first-stage moderator for our theoretical model. We tested these theoretical expectations in 2 experimental experience sampling studies. In Study 1a, we collected data from 63 managers (519 daily observations) and found that wearing blue-light filtering glasses is an effective intervention to improve physiological (sleep), attitudinal (work engagement), and behavioral (task performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior) outcomes. In general, the effects were stronger for employees who tend to have sleep periods later in the day. In Study 1b, we collected data from 67 call center representatives (529 daily observations) and measured task performance from clients. We replicated most of the findings except for the interactions. Our model highlights how and when wearing blue-light filtering glasses can help employees to live and work better. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The Amateur Basketball Team of the Multinational Company Ernst Young in Belgrade as a Folklore Group

The subject of the analysis of our paper is the social and cultural practice of amateur basketball played by employees of the multinational company Ernst Young in Belgrade. We observed the amateur team as a folklore group, and their participation in sports is interpreted not only as a physical activity, but as a modality of shaping attitudes, values and beliefs related to the company, important for strengthening cohesion among employees and reinforcing their motivation to perform work tasks. Basketball as a sport in which each player aligns on an individual level with the collective strategy of the team is somewhat reminiscent of the activities of Ernst Young employees, such as teamwork, personal and professional development, as well as an organizational culture oriented towards the company’s development and growth on the market. The material in this paper was collected using the technique of semi-structured interviews with members of the amateur basketball team Ernst Young, which competes in the Rekreativ League of Belgrade and is composed mainly of employees in this organization. In addition to this base of our ethnographic material, informal interviews were conducted and employee statementsobtained. Using the concept of idioculture of the American sociologist, social psychologist and folklorist Gary Alan Fine, the material related to the creation, expression and subsistence of the group’s identity (composed mostly of amateur basketball players) was analyzed and interpreted. Members of this sports community differentiate themselves from other employees in the multinational company through the mentioned group identity. The group is recognized as such by other employees in this organization, which was shown by further analysis performed in accordance with the theoretical and methodological framework of the “folklore diamond” established by Gary Alan Fine. However, Fine himself never applied this framework consistently according to all its elements of analysis. The selection of these elements is made with regard to what is being examined, hence Fine’s “folklore diamond” is used as a source from which analytical concepts are taken and combined. The cultural context, as another element, gives a more complete picture of the overall analysis. This gives us an impetus for further ethnological and anthropological research of amateur sports in Serbia, especially in the corporate work environment.

A comparison design study of feedback modalities to support deep breathing whilst performing work tasks.

Deep breathing exercises are known to help decrease stress. Wearable and ambient computing can help initiate and support deep breathing exercises. Most studies have focused on a single sensory modality for providing feedback on the quality of breathing and other physiological data. Our research compares different feedback modalities on an individual's experience and ability to perform breath-based techniques at work. We designed three different interactive prototypes that used light, vibration and sound feedback modalities. We tested each prototype with 19 participants whilst they were performing typical work tasks in a naturalistic setting, followed by semi-structured interviews. We found that sound was the most successful feedback for the majority of participants, followed by vibration and ambient light. We developed an analytic tool, the Extended Cycle of Awareness, to facilitate understanding of the patterns of awareness and the flow of experience generated by participant interaction with prototype systems that provide feedback on the quality of breathing. Participants followed one of three different types of patterns: (1) ignoring the feedback; (2) not understanding the feedback and being overwhelmed by it; (3) successfully using the feedback to initiate deep breathing and reflect on the change in the quality of breathing. We offer a set of design recommendations for crafting interactive systems to support deep breathing at work, including personalization, designing for the cyclical process of attention and awareness, and designing for reflective practice.

Unveiling daily activity pattern differences between telecommuters and commuters using human mobility motifs and sequence analysis

This paper demonstrates the use of motif and sequence analysis in tandem to analyse differences and commonalities between telecommuters and usual commuters. In terms of substantive findings, telecommuters are by far more diverse in their allocation of time to places, activities, and travel. Approximately 20% of telecommuters stay at home all day during a workday, while only 8% of commuters do. Telecommuters that have at least one trip during their workday accrue more vehicle miles travelled and number of trips than their commuter counterparts. However, they travel less driving alone and tend to have more complex schedules visiting more locations. Within telecommuters and commuters, however, we have substantial variation in activity participation and travel captured by the combination of motifs and sequence analysis. As expected, a substantial proportion of commuters display morning and afternoon peaks of arriving at and departing from work, and telecommuters do not show this pattern. In addition, telecommuters do not only perform work tasks from home. Instead, during a day a high percentage travel to a variety of locations to either visit customers and/or use their spatio-temporal schedule flexibility to perform work tasks from locations other than home. In contrast, more than 80% of commuters perform work at their workplace. In addition, a slightly higher proportion of telecommuters function as the designated driver escorting other people to their activity locations.

Impact of COVID-19 social media news on employee behavior: the mediating role of psychological well-being and depression

PurposeThe study's objective is to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) social media news (SMN) on work boredom (WB) and task performance (TP). The study proposes that psychological well-being (PWB) and depression mediate the relationship between COVID-19 SMN, WB and TP.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this research was collected from white-collar employees of two Asian countries, Pakistan (study 1, n = 167) and Malaysia (study 2, n = 118), was collected using an online survey during strict movement control order (MCO), work from home, at the beginning of the year 2020.FindingsIn both studies, the PWB of employees mediated the relationship between COVID-19 SMN and their WB. On the other hand, depression only mediated the relationship between COVID-19 SMN and WB in Pakistan. PWB only mediated the relationship between COVID-19 SMN and TP in study 2. Depression only mediated the relationship between COVID-19 SMN and TP in study 1.Research limitations/implicationsA couple of limitations worth noting are that the study adopted a cross-sectional approach. Thus, the sample size is not large in both counties. Because of the outbreak, limited employees agree to be part of an online survey. The scope of the study also restricts the authors to collect data during MCO, when employees were forced to work from home. In Pakistan, MCO began on 20th March and ended on 30th April, while in Malaysia, MCO started on 18th March and ended on 12th May. This also limits the study's claim of generalizability.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of the study is to guide practitioners of both Pakistan and Malaysia in developing strategies that help them understand that employees having PWB look for growth and challenging opportunities even during pandemic situations; employers can leverage it to deal with external threats like COVID-19 because improving the PWB can improve TP and reduce WB. The interesting results highlighted the fact that high TP not necessarily means everything is fine with employees, when the uncertainty level is high, employees may be performing well due to fear and depression instead of work motivation. Thus, employers should be more vigilant during a pandemic situation. This study also helps policymakers understand that the overall economic situation affects the individual employee’s state of mind and work behavior.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to scare literature on COVID-19 and SMN and illustrates employees' work behavior when forced to work from home during the MCO.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ENTERPRISE SOCIAL MEDIA AFFORDANCES ON WORK PERFORMANCE AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

ABSTRACT One of the derivatives of collective work is knowledge, and this remains a significant resource to any organization, either valued as capital or part of the intangible assets of that organization. The effective application of knowledge, through processing and transfer mediums can impact positively work performance. There have been noted studies on enterprise social media affordances with regards to the use of different platforms and the user experiences though these studies did not take into consideration how the design differences impacted the performance of enterprise social media platforms. To fill this knowledge gap, this research focused on determining the impact that a singular enterprise social media platform has on work performance, within the framework of knowledge transfer. This research collected data from 317 employees of a Malagasy company using the internal social media platform and it was found that the affordances of association, persistence, visibility and editability had a positive relationship with knowledge acquisition and knowledge provision, and these in turn also promoted work performance among them. The research also showed that there is a mediation effect of knowledge acquisition on the impact of ESM affordances on work performance. A key finding of this research was also in the fact that through the knowledge transfer process, organizations can co-create value in a sustainable way that impacts performance, and this is aided by the innovation process, along with the levers for action on the variables. The essential variables for which actions need to be taken are derived from the complex relationships of technology (ESM affordances), knowledge transfer (knowledge provision and knowledge acquisition) and organizational performance (work performance and task performance). Keywords Enterprise Social Media Affordances, Work Performance, Knowledge Transfer

Angažovani zaposleni kao lideri inovativosti na radnom mestu

Innovations are the key to the long-term survival, growth, and development of any organization. For that reason, all organizations strive to have as much as possible successful innovations that consequently bring many positive effects to the entire economy. This paper points out the importance and role of engaged employees who take a leading role in organizational innovations. Engaged employees give their best effort during the performance of work tasks, try to create new, better ways to perform certain activities through cooperation and exchange of knowledge with colleagues, and try to improve the functioning of the entire organization. With their enthusiasm, perseverance, persistence, and sincere desire to give their contribution to the business of the organization, engaged employees are the important source of creativity and innovation in the workplace. At the organizational level, a significant role in the innovation process has the proposals of engaged employees who truly love their job, the organization in which they work and have the desire to dedicate themselves to additional innovative activities that are not in their job descriptions.

Supervisor ratings of productivity loss associated with presenteeism and sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders and common mental disorders in Sweden.

Health problems due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and common mental disorders (CMD) result in costs due to lost productivity. This study aimed to increase knowledge of employers' productivity loss due to employees' presenteeism and sickness absence. A web questionnaire was sent to employers of workers who were sick-listed for more than 30 days due to MSD or CMD, response rate: 50%, n = 198. Presenteeism and the impact on productivity before and after sick leave, and the performance of work tasks by replacement workers during sick leave, were measured using supervisors' ratings. The average loss of productivity per sick-leave case amounted to almost 10 weeks, 53%of productivity loss was attributable to presenteeism and 47%to lower productivity by replacement workers. Employees with a CMD diagnosis had significantly higher presenteeism-related productivity loss than those with MSD. Employers experienced substantial productivity loss associated with employees' presenteeism and sick leave. Whether the supervisory rating of presenteeism is preferable to employee self-rating needs to be studied further. The long duration of presenteeism is counter-productive to resource-efficient organisations and indicates the need for improved supervisory skills to identify workers with poor health, both before and after sick leave.