Local Government Workers Research Articles

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence among Male Local Government Workers in Ekiti State

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against men is a global prevalent issue. It is the abuse that transpires within or outside a romantic relationship. It affects men and women equally but the cases of men are under-reported. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of intimate partner violence among male local government workers in Ekiti State. The study adopted a cross sectional descriptive research design using a quantitative method approach of data collection. Multistage sampling technique was used to select two hundred and eighteen (218) respondents from six local government areas in Ekiti State. Data were collected with the aid of adapted questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The result showed that the average age of the respondents was approximately 43 years with 67.9% being within 36-51 years old and 79.4% were married with an average length of 13 years in relationship. The overall prevalence of IPV was 94.5% with psychological violence being the most prevalent (89.0%), followed by psychological violence (78.9%), then by sexual (39.9%) and physical (19.3%). IPV against men is prevalent and it is mostly psychological. The fact that physical assault is minimal does not mean that men are undergoing IPV. Hence nurses and other health workers should screen men who present with psychological symptoms for necessary help.

사회복지전담공무원의 메타역량, 직무역량, 직무몰입 간 관계에 관한 탐색적 연구

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between meta-competence, job competence, and work engagement among social workers in local government. Using data collected from social workers in local government across the country, a PLS-based structural equation model analysis was conducted. The analysis revealed significant paths among meta-competence, job competence, and work engagement. Firstly, meta-competence had a positive impact on both job competence and work engagement. Secondly, the relationship between job competence and work engagement was also found to be positive. Thirdly, job competence acted as a partial mediator in the relationship between meta-competence and work engagement. Based on the research findings, the importance of competency development for social workers in local government was discussed, as well as integrated approaches to meta-competence and job competence in social work education.

Qiang Costumes in Maoxian, Sichuan Province: The Revival of Chinese Minority Identity for Application in Design

The purpose of this investigation was to fulfill three objectives: (1) to study the characteristics, connotations and reflected history and social development of Qiang costumes; (2) to study and analyze the cultural identity of Qiang Costumes for development into local products and (3) to design products inspired by Qiang Costumes in Maoxian County, Sichuan. The focus community was the Qiang people in Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, with the research population including local government workers, product sellers, design experts, and target consumers. Using a mixed-methods approach that combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the researchers gathered data through surveys, interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Results show that Qiang fabrics in Maoxian County are characterized by a number of local patterns, including fire, clouds, and flowers. These are incorporated into a rich and distinctive ethnic clothing identity. The researchers designed five everyday items based on the symbolism of Qiang clothing: a keychain, tableware, a bookmark, a fridge magnet, and a phone case. A questionnaire distributed to the target group found that the general level of consumer satisfaction with the products was at a very good level (x = 4.83). This investigation provides invaluable insights into the interplay between cultural preservation and economic development, highlighting the crucial role of integrating traditional Qiang culture into modern product design strategies.

Understanding institutional and policy challenges in China’s coal transition: Insights from the case of Chongqing

<p>China’s efforts and decisions to phase out coal will shape global endeavors in addressing climate change in the upcoming decades. This study investigates the action logic and interactions among different stakeholders, including the central government, local government, coal enterprises, and mine workers, in the case of Chongqing to gain valuable insights into existing institutional and policy challenges. Our results demonstrate that: First, the provincial government is the key to managing and implementing the local coal transitions, its motivation for coal transition, however, may not always align with the nation’s overall priorities. This highlights the need for a top-down coal transition policy to address the mismatched incentives among various participants. Second, Chongqing’s successful experience in maintaining economic development and whole employment demonstrates the possibility of adopting a rapid coal closure in places with similar resource endowments and industrial structures. Chongqing’s collaborative approach to transferring social responsibilities to local governments also serves as a valuable model that may apply to others’ contexts. Lastly, it is crucial to make context-based policy adjustments and establish an integrated and independent governance system when pursuing a rapid, efficient, and safe coal phase-out.</p>

Access to health care among internal migrants in Chhattisgarh, India: critical perspectives on the question of health equity and urban development

PurposeMigrants face some unique health-care challenges, which often remain unaddressed by the health system. The purpose of this study is to determine health-care access among migrants in Chhattisgarh, from a lens of health equity.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted in a government-built tenement under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development program in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh state of India. It is a mixed-methods study which used a survey method, focus group discussion, in depth-interviews, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations of health facilities in the area. Respondents included residents (migrants) and other local stakeholders like the Chief Medical Officer of the district, elected representatives of the local government and frontline health workers. This paper focuses on the findings from the qualitative component of the study.FindingsThe move to resettle the people living in the slums to the periphery of the city had a negative impact on their health-care access. They find it difficult to access public health services, given the services are concentrated in the city. Women, elderly people and disabled people grapple with additional challenges in being able to access basic reproductive health services and care for chronic illnesses. Equity in health-care access is linked to various social determinants of health including access to housing and social security. However, the authors found that the migrant community is being deprived of appropriate housing facilities and social security.Originality/valueThis paper explores the health-care access of internal migrants in Chhattisgarh state of India in the larger context of urban development with a focus on health equity.

A comparative study of exclusive breastfeeding between mothers of formal and informal sector workers in Ede north local government area, Osun State Nigeria

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is helpful in reducing infant morbidity and mortality throughout the first six months of life. However, despite aggressive marketing, just 13-36% of Nigeria infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the knowledge, practice and factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among informal and formal sector workers in Ede north local government, Osun State. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 285 respondents from formal and informal sector workers with child(ren) aged 0-24 months. Results: Results showed a significant difference in knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding between formal and informal sector workers. Factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding include lactation, job hindrances, and crèche availability. The practice of EBF was low among mothers in the formal sector, and the factors impacting its practice reported in this study may have substantial implications for breastfeeding intervention programs. Conclusions: As a result, attempts to promote EBF should target specific populations of informal sector women and areas where it is underutilized. Moreover, mothers must be supported. Furthermore, mothers should be encouraged to attend antenatal care where they will learn about the benefits of exclusive nursing to children under the age of six months, allowing them to make informed decisions on exclusive breastfeeding. The Nigerian government should ensure that the employment act’s maternity leave benefits are implemented in the informal sector, allowing women to practice EBF.

Modulated Salary Administration and Performance of Local Government Workers in Osun State, Nigeria

Modulated Salary Administration and Performance of Local Government Workers in Osun State, Nigeria

The High Note of Meaning: A Case Study of Public Service Motivation of Local Government Officials

Public service motivation (PSM) has provided a new breadth to the study of what attracts and retains workers in public organizations committed to the public mission. The present research contributes to the topic by exploring local government workers’ motivation for public service, the meaning they attribute to their activity as public servants, and the relations between PSM and the meaning of work (MOW). An adaptation of the PSM scale to the Portuguese language and context and the local level of public administration is proposed based on a sample of seventeen surveyed municipalities involving 252 participants. Within the analyzed context, dedication to the public interest is the most important factor of public service motivation and, alongside self-sacrifice, more common in older public servants and those with higher educational degrees. Workers with temporary job contracts rank higher in indifference and disbelief in politics as opposed to those workers with tenure who show a higher dedication to the public interest. The majority of the participants consider their work to be purposeful and meaningful, a state that is significantly positively correlated with the more altruistic dimensions of PSM, self-sacrifice and dedication to the public interest, suggesting a profitable venue of organizational research and work policy benchmarking.

Asian American Burnout Experiences in Local Government

How the Paradoxical Treatment of Asian Americans as Model Minorities and Perpetual Foreigners Shape Their Burnout Experiences in Local Government Abstract: Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. This trend signals a need for greater representation and retention of Asian American employees in local government to ensure this growing population is well-represented in bureaucratic decision-making processes and public service provisions. In our study, we examine burnout and emotional labor among Asian Americans in local government through a mixed-methods approach. Our sample consists of local government workers from a large and diverse county in California. We surveyed participants in 2018 and surveyed and interviewed a subset in 2020. We find that Asian Americans in the public sector are dealing with emotional stressors from multiple sides: internal expectations and collectivist values, external pressures from interpersonal relationships at work and from residents, and racialized collective trauma from the public display of anti-Asian acts that only heighten feelings of being perpetually foreign. The interaction of these stressors is leading Asian Americans in the public sector to experience burnout and its many dimensions in greater intensity than non-Asians employees in general.

The Emotional Toll of the COVID-19 Crisis on Local Government Workers

Despite the emotional intensity that accompanies crises, rarely is emotional labor explicitly discussed as a required aspect of crisis response work. We explore the emotional toll of COVID-19 crisis on local government employees. We introduce a dynamic mixed-methods approach to the study of emotional labor during times of crisis and highlight the utility of diary research designs in public human resource management scholarship. By combining waves of survey data, semi-structured interviews, and daily diary prompts, we provide evidence of how changes in workload, exogenously imposed fears, and emotional spillover blur the work-home boundaries of local government officials during the pandemic. We also show how isolation from peers and the public can lead to conflict and search for social support from both external and internal sources. We highlight how the application of the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory gives insight to the burnout and disengagement faced by local government employees during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

How the Paradoxical Treatment of Asian Americans as Model Minorities and Perpetual Foreigners Shape Their Burnout Experiences in Local Government

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the United States. This trend signals a need for greater representation and retention of Asian American employees in local government to ensure this growing population is well-represented in bureaucratic decision-making processes and public service provisions. In our study, we examine burnout and emotional labor among Asian Americans in local government through a mixed-methods approach. Our sample consists of local government workers from a large and diverse county in California. We initially surveyed over 6,000 participants in 2018 with nearly 3,200 fully completed and included in our statistical analyses, 16% of whom self-identified as Asian. We subsequently surveyed and interviewed a subset of 181 participants in 2020 with 7% who self-identified as Asian. We find that Asian Americans in the public sector are dealing with emotional stressors from multiple sides: internal expectations and collectivist values, external pressures from interpersonal relationships at work and from residents, and racialized collective trauma from the public display of anti-Asian acts that only heighten feelings of being perpetually foreign. The interaction of these stressors is leading Asian Americans in the public sector to experience burnout and its many dimensions in greater intensity than non-Asian employees in general.

The Impact of Job Enrichment on Job Satisfaction of Local Government Workers in Temeke Municipal Council of Tanzania

This study examines the impact of job enrichment on employee job satisfaction of local government workers in Tanzania. Specifically, the study examines how job characteristics, job meaningfulness, job responsibilities, and knowledge about job results impact employee job satisfaction. The target population of the study is 4000 employees of Temeke Municipal Council in Tanzania from which a sample of 396 respondents were drawn using a stratified simple random sampling technique. Temeke Municipal Council was selected since it is one of the biggest municipalities where the workers are highly dissatisfied due to the big workload and the pressure from the central bureaucracy, but it is not clear to what extent job enrichment is affecting job satisfaction. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions and analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics and regression analysis with the aid of STATA software. The findings show that job enrichment impacts positively on employees' job satisfaction because all the variables of job enrichments show a strong positive and statistically significant relationship with job satisfaction. This study recommends that job satisfaction among employees of the organizations could be increased through enriching their jobs focusing on job characteristics, job meaningfulness, job responsibilities, and knowledge about job results.
 Keywords: Job Enrichment, Job Satisfaction, Local Government Workers, Tanzania

Corona virus-19 preventive practices among primary health workers in Owo local government, Ondo state Nigeria

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease with high mortality. Healthcare workers are at the frontline of COVID-19 response and are prone to infection. Therefore, healthcare workers’ preventive practices cannot be underestimated. The study aimed to determine the COVID-19 preventive practices among primary health workers in Owo, Local Government, Ondo state Nigeria.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Consenting staff of primary health centres completed a pretested self-administered questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: A total of 400 respondents were recruited with 91 (22.8%) males and 309 (77.2%) females giving male to female ratio of 1:3.4. The age range of the respondents was 19-61 years with a mean age of 37.1 (8.1) years. More than half (58.0%) had tertiary level of education and most participant were community health extension workers (36.7%). Majority (99.8%) of the workers were aware of COVID-19 though 212 (53.0%) had good knowledge. The major source of information was the television (94.3%). About 351 (87.8%) had positive attitude despite 383 (95.7%) agreeing that COVID-19 is a problem in Nigeria. More than three-quarter (76.5%) had good practice. There was a significant relationship between knowledge (χ2=29.072, p<0.001), attitude (χ2=35.156, p<0.001) with practice. Educational level was the only factor associated with adherence to COVID-19 guideline (χ2=5.256; p=0.022). The predictors of good practice include knowledge (95% CI =2.296-6.269; p<0.001) and attitude (95% CI =3.079-10.767; p<0.001).Conclusions: The health workers had good knowledge, positive attitude and good preventive practices towards COVID-19.

Revisiting auxiliary social services for persons with disability: The Philippines case

AbstractUsing multiple case studies design, the paper examined how selected local governments in the Philippines implement the policy on auxiliary social services for persons with disability (PWDs) and analyzed how the implementation is influenced by factors such as local policy guidelines, financial resources, and local institutional actors. It was found that local policies play a key role in providing knowledge and guidance to local governments on social services that need to be delivered and could serve as basis for budget allocation. Financial resources can also influence the operation of the unit/office responsible to deliver the services, the types of services that the local government is able to deliver, the number of PWDs that can be provided with services, and the capacity building activities for local government workers. Likewise, local institutional actors can affect the functionality of responsible offices as well as the extent and coverage of services provided to PWDs.

Emotional Intelligence and Employee Performance in Akwa Ibom State Local Government Service: A Study of Selected Local Government Councils

This study aimed at examining emotional intelligence and its influence on employee performance in Akwa Ibom State Local Government Service. The study was guided by two objectives and two research questions. The design adopted was the cross-sectional survey while the population of the study comprised 10758 Local Government workers in Akwa Ibom State, of which a sample size of 343 council workers was estimated from the three senatorial districts in the State using Taro Yamane formula. The instrument used in data collection was Emotional Intelligence and Employee Performance Questionnaire (EIEPQ). The instrument was validated by experts and the reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha and the result yielded reliability coefficient of 0.84. Data obtained for the study were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). After tests, the results revealed that self-awareness and selfregulation are significant predictors of employees' performance. Therefore, it was recommended among other things that organizations should ensure that their programmes are proactive and not only active for effective service delivery. Also, management should ensure that the concept of emotional intelligence is developed in the life span of staff through enhanced training to foster efficient and effective performance in organizations.

Absorbing the shock of austerity: the experience of local government workers at the front line

ABSTRACT Whilst post-GFC austerity state retrenchment is widely studied, there is little research which focuses on the experiences of those who work at the front-line of austere public services. Drawing on qualitative evidence with front-line workers in four UK local authorities significantly impacted by austerity, this paper explores ‘coping mechanisms’ developed by workers to manage resource restriction. It argues that existing conceptualisations of coping mechanisms, such as either resistance or adaptation, are insufficient to understand how workers manage contemporary austerity. This paper proposes an additional mechanism – absorption – and explores analytically how workers cope with austerity in terms of resistance, adaptation and absorption. The paper concludes that front-line local government workers are coping with austerity cuts, in large part, by acting as ‘shock absorbers’ of state retrenchment.

State and local government employment in the COVID-19 crisis

Local governments are facing large losses in revenues and increased expenditures because of the COVID-19 crisis. We document a causal relationship between fiscal pressures induced by COVID-19 and the layoffs of state and local government workers. States that depend more on sales tax as a source of revenue laid off significantly more workers than other states. The CARES Act’s provision of $150 billion in aid to state and local governments reduced the fiscal pressures they faced. Exploiting a kink in the formula for allocation of funding across states, we estimate that without this funding state and local governments would have laid off an additional 401,000 workers in April 2020, 40 percent more than realized. State rainy day fund balances limit the sensitivity of employment to these revenue shocks, revealing that balanced budget requirements for state and local governments increase the procyclicality of public service provision.

Local Government Finances and Balanced Budgets in the COVID-19 Crisis

Local governments are facing large losses in revenues and increased expenditures because of the COVID-19 crisis. We document a causal relationship between fiscal pressures induced by COVID-19 and the layoffs of state and local government workers. States that depend more on sales tax as a source of revenue laid off significantly more workers than other states. The CARES Act's provision of \$150 billion in aid to state and local governments reduced the fiscal pressures they faced. Exploiting a kink in the formula for allocation of funding across states, we estimate a state and local government employment multiplier for federal aid---each dollar of federal aid was used by states to support 31 cents of payrolls. State rainy day fund balances limit the sensitivity of employment to both revenue shocks, revealing that balanced budget requirements for state and local governments increase the procyclicality of public service provision.

Breaking the Culture-specific Silence of Women Glass Bead Makers in Ghana: Towards Empowerment.

BackgroundThe production of glass beads in Ghana is greatly impacted by the ingenuity of Ghanaian women. Preliminary investigations revealed the lack of interest on the part of women due to poor working conditions as a result of the influence of culture-specific silence. Therefore, the study investigated the poor working conditions faced by these industrious women with the ultimate goal of suggesting ways they can be empowered.MethodsA phenomenological study was conducted in two indigenous glass bead communities in Ghana. Data were solicited via direct observations, personal interviews and focus group discussions. Twenty-six purposively sampled respondents were recruited for the study. Data from the study were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.ResultsThe results confirmed that the elderly women glass bead makers are much influenced by the Ghanaian culture of silence. This prevents the women from speaking about the challenges they are facing in their work. Also, the women are silenced because of the fear of losing their jobs as well as the reluctance of their male managers to remedy the challenges they encounter in the course of work. This has resulted in poor remuneration, lack of insurance packages for workers, certification, and absence of personal protective tools for the women.ConclusionThe study tasks the government of Ghana, the Legal Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA), the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission in Ghana, the Ghana Trade Union as well as the Local Government Workers' Union to empower the women to sustain the glass bead industry in Ghana.

Promoting work engagement in public administrations: the role of middle managers’ leadership

ABSTRACT This study aims at exploring the role of middle managers’ leadership style in promoting work engagement in public administrations. Building on leadership theory, the work engagement literature and change management research, the study develops and empirically tests a model envisaging the impact of leadership on engagement as partially mediated by leaders’ support for key aspects of public sector reforms. An empirical study carried out on 2721 Italian local government workers shows that transformational leadership is positively linked to work engagement both directly and indirectly. Mixed results emerge for the other leadership styles.